Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 157

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 158

II.A Instructional Programs

II.A.1 All instructional programs, regardless of location or means of delivery,

including distance education and correspondence education, are offered in

fields of study consistent with the institution’s mission, are appropriate to

higher education, and culminate in student attainment of identified student

learning outcomes, and achievement of degrees, certificates, employment,

or transfer to other higher education programs.

ER 9. Educational Programs The institution’s principal degree programs are congruent with its mission, are

based on recognize higher education field(s) of study, are of sufficient content

and length, are conducted at levels of quality and rigor appropriate to the

degrees offered, and culminate in identified student outcomes.

ER 11. Student Learning and Achievement The institution defines standards for student achievement and assesses its

performance against those standards. The institution publishes for each

program the program's expected student learning and any program-specific

achievement outcomes. Through regular and systematic assessment, it

demonstrates that students who complete programs, no matter where or how

they are offered, achieve the identified outcomes and that the standards for

student achievement are met.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

II.A.1-1 Allan Hancock College

Catalog, 2015-2016, pages

64-125

II.A.1-2 Allan Hancock College

Catalog Addendum 2015-

2016

II.A.1-3 Career Development

Noncredit Certificates

Website

II.A.1-4 Distance Learning Report

Form ENGL 108/Course

Outline English 108

II.A.1-5 Board Policy 4105, Distance

Education

II.A.1-6 Degrees and certificates

100% Distance Learning

II.A.1-7 Program Review Resource

Guide, Six-Year Review

Academic and Vocational

Programs

II.A.1-8 Academic Affairs Program

Review Annual Update

II.A.1-9 Art Six-year Program Review

II.A.1-10 Accounting Annual Update

II.A.1-11 AP&P Course and Program

Approval

II.A.1-12 Allan Hancock College

Catalog, 2015-2016, page 75.

Auto Technology and

Biology program SLOs

II.A.1-13 AP&P Website

II.A.1-14 ASSIST (AHC 14-15

Transfer Course Agreements

in ASSIST)

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 159

II.A.1-15 Registered Veterinary

Technology (RVT) Program

Application

II.A.1-16 Units and Hours

II.A.1-17 Demystifying Hours and

Units

II.A.1-18 Institutional Report on

Student Learning Outcomes

II.A.1-19 ACCJC Annual Report Chart

by Year

II.A.1-20 CTE Institution Set Standards

II.A.1-21 ACCJC Institution Set

Standards

Analysis and Evaluation

All Allan Hancock College’s (AHC)

instructional programs are offered in fields

of study consistent with the college

mission to provide quality educational

opportunities that enhance student learning

and the economic vitality of the

community. AHC currently offers 112

certificates, 80 Associate Degrees (AA

and AS: Associate of Arts and Associate

of Science), and 16 Associate Degrees for

Transfer (ADTs: AA-T and AS-T) (II.A.1-

1; II.A.1-2). These credit certificate and

degrees provide opportunities to gain

employment through exemplary programs

that reflect the strong employment areas in

the region, such as automotive technology,

nursing, and winemaking. Two-year

degrees provide pathways for students into

career fields and on to four-year

universities. Strong academic two-year

transfer programs that have been enhanced

by a Department of Education STEM

Grant include engineering, biology,

computer science, and math.

Additionally, AHC offers noncredit

courses in areas such as ESL, Adult Basic

Education, and community education,

providing lifelong learning opportunities

for the service area. Currently, eight

noncredit certificate programs are offered

(II.A.1-3). Regardless of where courses

are offered, they all are subject to the same

approval process with programmatic

oversight and evaluation from lead faculty

in the program areas.

Many courses are offered online;

approximately 12% of fall 2015 credit

sections were distance learning courses.

All general education is available online to

increase student access and completion of

degrees. The vast majority of online

courses are at the 100 transfer level due to

concerns that technology may add another

barrier for remedial students. Courses that

faculty request to be offered online are

subject to an additional approval process

in the college curriculum committee,

Academic Policy and Planning (AP&P)

(II.A.1-4). The college recently revised

Board Policy 4105, Distance Education,

which ensures compliance with

Department of Education guidelines

regarding student authentication and

documentation of regular substantive

contact; the policy also distinguishes

between distance and correspondence

education although the college currently

does not offer correspondence education

(II.A.1-5). The college offers five AA

degrees, six AS degrees and two

certificates programs that can be

completed entirely online (II.A.1-6).

Curriculum and program review processes

ensure all curriculum offerings align with

the mission (II.A.1-1; II.A.1-2; II.A.1-7;

II.A.1-8). In both the annual and six-year

instructional program review, faculty in

the programs demonstrate how their

mission aligns with the college mission.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 160

Some program mission statements, such as

art, are comprehensive and demonstrate

the breadth and depth of the intended

program outcomes that often include

general education and Career Technical

Education (CTE) aspects (II.A.1-9).

Annual program updates require programs

to verify that their program continues to

align with the college mission, assess labor

market trends for CTE programs, and

provide assessment on progress towards

program goals and a status on program and

course student learning outcomes (SLOs)

(II.A.1-10).

The Academic Policy and Planning

Committee, which approves all

curriculum, reviews all course outlines to

ensure the courses meet the college

mission at the time of submission for

approval and have program and course

student learning outcomes (II.A.1-11). All

Associate Degrees (AA, AS, AS-T, and

AA-T) are a minimum of 60 units, two-

years. The program approval process also

requires that each program develop and

make public program level outcomes,

which are provided in the college catalog;

both CTE and academic programs

publicize their program learning outcomes

(II.A.1-12).

All new programs are reviewed by AP&P

and evaluated for mission alignment,

student demand and need, UC/CSU

transferability and articulation, industry

and business needs, and appropriate

academic rigor, following the guidelines

detailed in the State Chancellor's Office

Program and Course Approval Handbook

(PCAH) at the AP&P website (II.A.1-13).

Courses that are intended to transfer are

vetted through ASSIST (II.A.1-14). CTE

program approval requires extensive

analysis of labor market need,

identification of intended program

outcomes, anticipated enrollments, and an

identified sequence of courses leading to a

certificate or degree (II.A.1-15). Faculty

who create new curriculum are also given

professional development training and

guidance regarding higher education

standards related to units and hours

(II.A.1-16; II.A.1-17).

Instructional programs lead to attainment

of student learning outcomes at AHC.

Course SLO assessment is conducted by

discipline faculty on a schedule created in

conjunction with a six-year plan developed

in comprehensive program review (II.A.1-

7; II.A.1-8; II.A.1-9). Assessments,

sampling methodology, results, and

improvements are documented in

assessment reports (II.A.1-18; II.A.1-19).

Programs lead to certificates, degrees,

employment, and transfer (II.A.1-20;

II.A.1-21).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 161

II.A.2 Faculty, including full time, part time, and adjunct faculty, ensure that the

content and methods of instruction meet generally accepted academic and

professional standards and expectations. Faculty and others responsible act

to continuously improve instructional courses, programs and directly

related services through systematic evaluation to assure currency, improve

teaching and learning strategies, and promote student success.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Faculty are responsible for the institution’s

curriculum development and approval

processes, which in turn ensure that course

and programs are designed to meet

academic and professional standards.

Courses and programs, including service

programs, are regularly reviewed by

discipline faculty as part of the program

review process for quality, rigor, currency,

and effectiveness in achieving learning

outcomes. Results of such reviews

contribute to a robust dialogue about

strategies to improve student success.

II.A.2-1 Board Policy 4020,

Curriculum Development

II.A.2-2 2014-2015 Academic Policy

and Planning (AP&P)

Committee List

II.A.2-3 AP&P Minutes 09/09/11,

MMAC 112 and 114

Recommendations

II.A.2-4 AP&P Minutes 10/24/13, AG

158 Recommendation

II.A.2-5 Curriculum Proposal

Connecting Assessment Data

and Curriculum

Modifications to Improve

Learning is needed

II.A.2-6 CurricUNET Curriculum

Proposal Review Process

II.A.2-7 CurricUNET Review:

Comments for Art Course

Proposals

II.A.2-8 AP&P Minutes September

12, 2013, ECS 111

Recommendations

II.A.2-9 Distance Learning Course

Proposal Screen shots –

CurricUNET Meta

II.A.2-10 Distance Learning Course

Proposal and Approval –

ENGL 108

II.A.2-11 AP&P Best Practices for

Curriculum Development

II.A.2-12 New Program Proposal Notes

II.A.2-13 Curriculum Development

Handbook, page 25

II.A.2-14 AP&P Spring 2012 Retreat

Minutes

II.A.2-15 Repeatability Standards 1st

Draft

II.A.2-16 AP&P Minutes, October 3,

2013, DANC 183

Recommendations

II.A.2-17 Modification of Drama to

Theatre Courses

II.A.2-18 UC Approval of Theater

Courses

II.A.2-19 AP&P Retreats Spring and

Fall 2015

II.A.2-20 AP&P Committee Goals

2014-2015

II.A.2-21 Program Review Matrix

II.A.2-22 Course Review Resource

Guide

II.A.2-23 Aligning course syllabi and

course outline of record

II.A.2-24 Instructional Program

Review Master Calendar

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 162

II.A.2-25 CurricUNET 6-Year Course

Review Report

II.A.2-26 Auto Technology Course

Statistics and Evidence

Report/Improvement Plan

II.A.2-27 IRP 2014 Annual Program

Review Update

II.A.2-28 Medical Assisting 2015

Comprehensive Program

Review, pages 53-61

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College faculty have

primary responsibility for development of

new courses, new programs, program

outcomes, assessment of outcomes, and

modifications to courses and programs.

The review and recommending body who

has delegated authority to approve

curriculum is the Academic Policy and

Planning Committee (AP&P) (II.A.2-1).

The AP&P Committee is a subcommittee

of the local Academic Senate and is

comprised of faculty members,

representative of each academic

department, including a member of the

student body government. To ensure vital

information is at hand at meetings and that

curriculum decisions and curriculum

related information is communicated

across campus, the committee also

includes non-voting representatives from

student services, administration, and part-

time faculty (II.A.2-2).

All courses and programs are held to the

same standard of review that ensures

compliance with required standards and

criteria, currency, quality, rigor, and

integration of course objectives between

content, methods of instruction,

assignments, and methods of evaluation

(II.A.2-3; II.A.2-4). To maintain quality

courses and programs that deliver

expected outcomes, courses with learning

outcomes mapped to program outcomes

are regularly assessed to ensure effective

teaching and achievement of learning

outcomes. Where an analysis of the

assessment data indicate expectations are

not being met, course improvement plans

are created in eLumen, the college

assessment data management system, to

address identified gaps in teaching

methods, and/or strategies that will

enhance students’ achievement of learning

outcomes. If a modification to the content

of the course will result in desired

outcomes, a proposal to modify the course

outline of record or program is submitted

to the AP&P Committee to review the

changes and ensure that the course meets

the established criteria (II.A.2-5).

Proposals are submitted in CurricUNET’s

workflow system and are reviewed by

faculty, including part-time faculty,

librarians, articulation officer, academic

dean, learning resources dean, and

curriculum specialist. This established

process allows reviewers to conduct a

technical review of the proposal based on

their role and expertise in their field

(II.A.2-6). Recommendations made by

reviewers for proposed curriculum are

documented in CurricUNET, and

recommendations from the committee are

documented in committee meeting

minutes (II.A.2-7). Methods of instruction

appropriate to course content are reviewed

by the committee, and recommendations

are made to modify when necessary

(II.A.2-8). Courses proposed to be offered

as distance learning undergo a separate

approval process which includes

designation as either distance or

correspondence education and methods for

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 163

ensuring regular substantive contact with

students (II.A.2-9).

Initiators of distance learning proposals

must meet with learning assistance staff to

ensure that delivery methods are

accessible for all students. A distance

learning proposal is also reviewed by the

learning resources dean in consultation

with the distance learning coordinator to

ensure that training has been completed in

the college’s course management system

(II.A.2-10).

To reinforce established processes and

maintain the quality of curriculum, the

AP&P Committee adopted Best Practices

for Curriculum Development. The Best

Practices serves as a checklist in support

of the procedures for the development of

new curriculum (II.A.2-11). Collaboration

with appropriate college staff in key roles

and supporting documentation for new

curriculum proposals are primary

considerations for the committee in

recommending adoption of new

curriculum (II.A.2-12; II.A.2-13). AP&P

recommends new courses and programs

for adoption to the Academic Senate and

to the Board of Trustees for approval per

Board Policy 4020, Curriculum

Development (II.A.2-1) (this board policy

is currently being revised and will be

renamed Program and Curriculum

Development).

To keep abreast of new regulations,

professional development activities are

scheduled and the AP&P committee

regularly participates in curriculum related

professional development activities and

modifies processes accordingly (II.A.2-14;

II.A.2-15; II.A.2-16). When new

regulations limiting course repeatability

went into effect, AP&P identified groups

of courses with limited repeats and

approved the leveling of existing fine arts

courses, appropriately. For example,

approval of the new Drama courses as UC

transferrable courses, now prefixed as

Theater, is evidence that content and

methods of instruction meet generally

accepted academic and professional

standards and expectations (II.A.2-17;

II.A.2-18). Planning retreats for AP&P

committee members are held at the

beginning of each semester, and work is

ongoing in the committee’s efforts to

maintain the quality of courses and

programs (II.A.2-19; II.A.2-20).

Discipline faculty conduct regular reviews

of instructional programs and courses, and

related services are scheduled regularly

every six years and annually in between.

The schedule of reviews is tracked on the

Program Review Matrix and is maintained

by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness

(II.A.2-21). Each of these processes, six-

year comprehensive review, course

review, and annual update, which

encompasses the two-year CTE program

review, provides avenues for an ongoing

collection and review of data for purposes

of maintaining currency of curriculum,

identifying areas of improvement in

teaching, and identifying needed resources

for budget and planning.

Course reviews are scheduled the year

prior to the six-year comprehensive

program review. During course review,

discipline faculty review course outlines of

record for currency and to re-establish

prerequisites, corequisites, advisories,

general education status, and/or

articulation status (II.A.2-22). Course

syllabi and materials are examined to

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 164

ensure that instruction is appropriately

rigorous and aligned with the standards in

the course outlines (II.A.2-23). The

tracking of course review completion is

aligned with the Instructional Program

Review Master Calendar (II.A.2-24). In

fall 2014, the college implemented an

automated curriculum course and program

proposal process, CurricUNET, which has

the capability of tracking courses which

are not current (II.A.2-25). The use of

CurricUNET is in its third semester of

implementation, and refinements in the

processes and use of reports will be

ongoing as the college is currently

upgrading to CurricUNET’s new Meta

version.

The six-year comprehensive program

review and annual update include analysis

of assessment of course and program

learning outcomes data (II.A.2-26). If

students are not achieving the desired

outcomes, faculty use these results to plan

improvements and design modifications to

programs and services in order to promote

student achievement and success (II.A.2-

27; II.A.2-28). These processes ensure

systematic evaluation and dialogue that

drive continuous improvement.

See II.A.2-22 for a detailed description of

the program review process.

While there is evidence that the college

integrates program review, planning, and

resource allocation, improvements can be

made in the clarity of the processes in

order to demonstrate that they lead to

institutional effectiveness. The need for

improvements is based on the institution’s

broad based, systematic evaluation of all

aspects of planning, including programs

and services where human, physical,

technology, and financial resources are

allocated. The College will draft a Quality

Focus Essay in order to improve the

linkage between integrated evaluation,

planning, and resource allocation to

improve student learning and achievement.

This improvement process will be

informed by the college’s process for

faculty review of courses and programs for

quality, rigor, currency, and effectiveness

in achieving learning outcomes. The

results of such reviews contribute to a

robust dialogue about strategies to

improve student success.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 165

II.A.3 The institution identifies and regularly assesses learning outcomes for

courses, programs, certificates and degrees using established institutional

procedures. The institution has officially approved and current course

outlines that include student learning outcomes. In every class section

students receive a course syllabus that includes learning outcomes from

the institution’s officially approved course outline.

Evidence of meeting the Standard

Learning outcomes at Allan Hancock

College are listed on syllabi, on the course

outline of record in the CurricUNET

system, and in the eLumen learning

outcomes system. Faculty systematically

assess outcomes for continuous quality

improvement.

II.A.3-1 Institutional Assessment

Plan, Purpose, page 3

II.A.3-2 Spanish Six-Year Assessment

Schedule

II.A.3-3 Samples of good, robust

course improvement plans

across disciplines (MA 305,

ESL 537, MATH 181)

II.A.3-4 Language Lab Schedule Fall

2015

II.A.3-5 Program Review Resource

Guide, Six-Year Review

Academic and Vocational

Programs

II.A.3-6 2014-2015 Program Review

Email and Memo, 09/29/14

II.A.3-7 Program Review Matrix

II.A.3-8 English Program Review

Annual Update, Spring 2014,

page 9

II.A.3-9 SLOs Implementation,

LOAC_Minutes 02/26/13

II.A.3-10 How to change a SLO,

November 2015

II.A.3-11 College Council Minutes,

June 2014

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College implemented an

“Institutional Assessment Plan” (IAP) in

April 2014 to “provide a structure and

reference for campus wide outcomes and

assessment efforts as well as to clearly

state roles, responsibilities and timelines

for outcomes and assessment activities”

(II.A.3-1).

Course level assessment at Allan Hancock

College is faculty driven; faculty directly

assess their students’ skills, abilities, and

knowledge based on identified student

learning outcomes which are documented

in the course outline of record in

CurricUNET and communicated to

students in course syllabi. Data collected

from course assessment are documented in

eLumen, the District’s assessment

software, which was implemented in fall

2010. Assessment results are used to

strengthen and improve curriculum and

student learning. For example, the Art

program identified in their 2014-2015

program review four areas for

improvement based on assessment data.

These areas include rewriting their

program outcomes, adding an

English/reading advisory to six art

courses, adding online quizzes to lecture

courses, and finally adding a new SLO to

all studio courses to assess craft.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 166

Course outcomes are mapped within

eLumen to both program and institutional

level outcomes, so collected student data

supports both program and institutional

assessment. Faculty assess at least one

outcome per course, per term, based on

their six-year assessment cycles and enter

the data into eLumen using an institutional

set rubric of “3-exceeds standard; 2-meets

standard; and 1-below standard” (II.A.3-

2). Along with the data, faculty provide a

narrative response to the data by

completing a section or course

improvement plan. One example taken

from a fall 2013 course improvement plan

for ESL 537 is “night students do not

spend as many hours in the Language Lab

as the day students. This is likely due to

the fact that night students have less free

time and less access to the lab...” Needed

resources identified by this instructor

include “Funds … to continue to have the

lab open before and after evening classes”

(II.A.3-3). In response to this assessment

and previous program reviews, ESL was

able to hire a full-time Lab Coordinator

and dramatically improve the lab hours

offered to ESL students in fall 2015,

including the addition of evening lab hours

four nights a week (II.A.3-4).

Both the comprehensive program review

and annual update processes at the college

provide and document program level

assessment. As stated in the Academic

Program Review Resource Guide Purpose

and Goals on page 3, developed by

faculty, “Program review is the process

through which constituencies (not only

faculty) on a campus take stock of their

successes and shortcomings and seek to

identify ways in which they can meet their

goals more effectively.” Also stated in the

guide, “A well-developed program review

process will be both descriptive and

evaluative, directed toward improving

teaching and learning, producing a

foundation for action, and based upon

well-considered academic values” (II.A.3-

5).

Comprehensive program reviews and

annual updates are scheduled on a cycle

documented and communicated by the

vice president of Academic Affairs’ office

(II.A.3-6). The Office of Institutional

Effectiveness posts and maintains an

online matrix of current and previous

reviews available to all faculty and staff

through myHancock (II.A.3-7). Program

reviews document evaluation of the past

six years’ assessment and results data;

annual updates ensure evaluation is

ongoing.

During the program review process,

faculty collaborate to improve courses by

documenting modifications made to their

outcomes and methods of assessment, as

the English Department did in spring 2014

when they reduced their course SLOs

overall from 72 to 52 and changed their

assessments. “With fewer SLOs, the

department believes that it will be more

effective in its measurement of SLOs.”

Also noted: “Despite the robust results, the

English Department will now look at the

recommendations in the Course

Improvement Plans and work toward

evaluating the effectiveness of the types of

assessments used and whether any SLOs

need to be further revised to reflect course

content” (II.A.3-8).

To assist faculty in changing their SLOs

after evaluation and collaboration “and

keeping them consistent across the levels

(syllabi, COR, CurricUNET, eLumen),”

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 167

the Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Committee for Academic Affairs

developed and vetted a detailed process on

how to change course, program,

institutional, and student service SLOs

(II.A.3-9; II.A.3-10). This was approved

by College Council in June 2014, was

implemented in the fall 2014 semester, and

revised again in November 2015 in

response to fully implementing the

CurricUNET system (II.A.3-11). This

“How to Change a SLO” process clarifies

the specific steps needed to follow when a

change is needed and clearly documents

for all staff and faculty where the official

source of information is, who must

approve the change, and who must be

informed of the change.

The college will follow-up on SLO

development, modification, and evaluation

process to assess improvements in process

and SLO quality.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 168

II.A.4 If the institution offers pre-collegiate level curriculum, it distinguishes that

curriculum from college level curriculum and directly supports students

in learning the knowledge and skills necessary to advance to and succeed

in college level curriculum.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

II.A.4-1 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016,

Remedial Course Limit, page

47

II.A.4-2 Spectrum

II.A.4-3 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4222, Remedial

Course Work

II.A.4-4 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, Course

Information page 127

II.A.4-5 Curriculum Development

Handbook, page 47

II.A.4-6 Developmental English

Course Outlines 511, 512,

513, 514, CurricUNET

II.A.4-7 “Exponential Attrition and

the Promise of Acceleration

in Developmental English

and Math”, Katie Hern, 2010

II.A.4-8 English Boot Camp and

Acceleration, BSI Outcomes

Report Summer 2014

II.A.4-9 Math Skills Refresher Course

2009

II.A.4-10 Math Skills Refresher Course

Summaries 2013, 2014

II.A.4-11 AHC 2014-2015 Student

Support and Success Program

Plan Draft #3

II.A.4-12 Learning Resources Program

Review

II.A.4-13 Math Center Program

Review Fall 2008-Spring

2014

II.A.4-14 Title V AIM Summary

II.A.4-15 EOPS website

II.A.4-16 LAP website

II.A.4-17 CAN website

Analysis and Evaluation

AHC’s mission commits the college to

serving a diverse community and student

population. Central to that mission is our

service to remedial students or students

who are unprepared for college-level

work. Basic skills courses are offered as

both noncredit and credit courses (II.A.4-

1; II.A.4-2). Online courses are primarily

offered at the transfer level, although some

basic skills math, English, and noncredit

ESL courses were being developed in

2015-2016 in various online and hybrid

formats as part of a Title V Hispanic

Serving Institutions grant.

Board Policy and Administrative

Procedures 4222 define remedial, or pre-

collegiate level, curriculum as “credit

courses in reading, writing, math, English,

learning skills, study skills, and English as

a Second Language, which have been

designated as non-degree applicable

courses designed to assist the

underprepared student to develop the

academic skills necessary for college level

work” (II.A.4-3). Distinguished by their

500-level designation, the catalog

describes these courses to students:

“Courses numbered 500-599 are college

preparatory in nature and are not

applicable to the associate degree

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 169

programs and do not transfer to four year

institutions” (II.A.4-4).

Students are limited to 30 semester units

of remedial course work, with certain

exceptions for ESL or students with

disabilities and subject to appeal as

described in board policy. To support

student success, the remedial course

approval process requires that the course

outline of record include entry-level skills

which a student needs to succeed in the

course (II.A.4-5). The Banner registration

system enforces completion of required

prerequisite courses before enrollment in

higher levels.

The chart below reflects the college’s

enrollment in basic skills (pre-collegiate)

math, English, and ESL (credit) since

2010:

The chart below shows the number of basic skills courses offered in ESL, English, and math

per term from 2010 to 2015:

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 170

Basic Skills Success In order to identify ways to increase

student success, the District monitors

success data in basic skills programs and

courses (see Basic Skills Success Rates

chart). English has seen an increase in

success rates in the last two years.

During 2010, the department overhauled

its entire developmental curriculum to

align better with state coding of pre-

collegiate coursework and competencies.

The improvement in success rates since

2010 coincides with the implementation

of the new curriculum sequence (II.A.4-

6).

The chart below shows student success

rates in basic skills ESL, English, and

math from 2010 to 2015:

The more levels of remediation required,

the less likely a student will make it to

college–level courses (II.A.4-7). With

this in mind and to improve students’

odds of making it to college-level

coursework, AHC’s English Department

is participating in California Community

Colleges Success Network (3CSN),

California Acceleration Project, piloting

accelerated pathways to move students

more quickly and effectively through

remedial curriculum. The Summer Boot

Camp, first offered in summer 2014, is

part of a California Academic

Partnership Project with Ernest Righetti

High School. The two-week workshop is

designed to accelerate the placement of

entering students who had placed at least

one level below transfer in English. At

the end, all had improved significantly:

of 31, fifteen successfully entered

college-level English, one stayed in

English 514 (one level below), and the

rest entered an accelerated section of 514

(II.A.4-8).

The Math Department has offered a

summer skills refresher for incoming

students for the last five years. These

short courses provide students an intense

review and enable them to re-take the

placement test, demonstrate their

readiness for the next level, and avoid

repeating a course they have already

taken. Generally, over half of enrolled

students improved their placement, and

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 171

most other students improved their skills

and likelihood of succeeding in their next

math class (II.A.4-9; II.A.4-10).

Students who are enrolled in basic skills

coursework are a segment of the target

audience for at-risk follow-up counseling

services. The available services include

individual counseling appointments with

emphasis on developing a comprehensive

student educational plan, including

recommendations for Personal

Development coursework such as “Success

in College” when appropriate, referrals to

additional support services both on and off

campus, and group workshops addressing

study skills and how to identify

educational and career goals (II.A.4-11).

Other services that are provided support

students in advancing and succeeding –

referrals may be made to the following

programs where basic skills students are

often disproportionately represented:

The Writing Center is dedicated to

providing one-to-one instructional

assistance for students in all levels of

reading and writing, with particular

emphasis on the success of basic skills

English and ESL students. In annual

student surveys since fall 2007, greater

than 84% of students indicate that they

believe that their time in the lab improved

their academic skills (II.A.4-12).

The Math Center serves as a

supplementary lab for students at all levels

who need additional practice to complete

math coursework successfully. Student-

use hours increased 70% between spring

2009 and spring 2014, from 9,046 to

15,359. In general, data show a positive

correlation between the number of hours a

student spends in the Math Center and

grades. During the 2012, 2013, and 2014

summer sessions and in fall 2013, data

were collected on students who spent 10

hours or more in the Math Center. In

comparison with all math students who

received a grade in a math class, the data

showed three conclusions (II.A.4-13):

1. Increased percent of Success

(C or better)

2. Increased percent of A grades

3. Increased GPA

AHC provides many support services to

aid students in advancing to college level

courses and has piloted several innovative

and successful programs and initiatives to

support basic skills students. The college

hopes to expand and scale these efforts

through leveraging current grants and

initiatives, including the recent award of

its third Title V federal grant. This

Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant began

on October 1, 2014 and has one activity

focused entirely on improving outcomes

for basic skills and credit/noncredit ESL

students (II.A.4-14).

Extended Opportunity Programs and

Services (EOPS) is a state-funded program

established to increase the number and

percentage of educationally and

economically disadvantaged students

enrolled in community colleges (II.A.4-

15). EOPS provides peer advising;

registration assistance; additional tutoring

hours; career, academic, and personal

counseling; specialized workshops; annual

activities; and assistance with the

completion of financial aid applications.

Learning Assistance Program (LAP)

provides disabled students with

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 172

specialized support and advocacy

including reasonable academic

accommodations, instruction, assessment,

and counseling (II.A.4-16).

College Achievement Now (CAN)

provides underrepresented students with

academic tutoring, mentoring, counseling,

career exploration, and scholarship

assistance (II.A.4-17).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 173

II.A.5 The institution’s degrees and programs follow practices common to

American higher education, including appropriate length, breadth, depth,

rigor, course sequencing, time to completion, and synthesis of learning. The

institution ensures that minimum degree requirements are 60 semester

credits or equivalent at the associate level, and 120 credits or equivalent at

the baccalaureate level.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College ensures degrees

and programs conform with appropriate

practices in American higher education

through policies and processes guided by

board policy, the Academic Senate

through the curriculum committee (AP&P

committee), and state regulations and

guidelines.

II.A.5-1 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, pages

58-62

II.A.5-2 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4020, Curriculum

Development

II.A.5-3 Curriculum Development

Handbook, page 78

II.A.5-4 AP&P Retreat Agendas

II.A.5-5 Sports Medicine Associate in

Science Program Proposal

and Approval Letter

II.A.5-6 ASSIST Transfer Course

Agreements 2015-2016

II.A.5-7 General Education Criteria

Analysis and Evaluation

Development, evaluation, and revision of

Allan Hancock College instructional

programs and curriculum follow practices

common in American higher education.

Allan Hancock College ensures that the

minimum degree requirements are 60

semester credits, as explained in the 2015-

2016 college catalog: “An associate degree

will be awarded when a minimum of 60

units have been completed satisfactorily”

(II.A.5-1).

As Board Policy 4020 outlines,

“Curriculum development is the

responsibility of the faculty under the

guidance and leadership of the Vice

President, Academic Affairs… The chief

agency for the coordination of curriculum

changes is the Academic policy and

Planning Committee” (II.A.5-2). The AHC

Academic Senate oversees the college’s

curriculum committee, Academic Policy

and Planning (AP&P). The committee

relies on faculty expertise to review and

approve development and revision of

instructional programs, ensuring

appropriateness to the college mission and

the breadth, depth, rigor, appropriate

length, and time to completion.

The AP&P committee’s procedures for

reviewing and approving new and

modified instructional programs can be

found in Section 5 of the AP&P

Curriculum Development Handbook, page

78 (II.A.5-3). Committee review and

approval ensures that all proposal elements

are in accordance with best practices and

compliance. To keep abreast of changes in

curriculum related topics, AP&P

committee members participate in

professional development activities each

fall and spring semesters (II.A.5-4). In

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 174

addition, the committee utilizes resource

materials that are widely used and which

follow review and approval practices

common in American higher education:

Chancellor’s Office “Program and Course

Approval Handbook” and the Academic

Senate for California Community

Colleges’ “The Course Outline of Record:

A Curriculum Reference Guide.” The use

of these resource materials ensures strict

adherence to policies and practices for

developing sound instructional programs.

In spring 2015, a new program proposal

was submitted for a Sports Medicine

associate degree program. The proposal

included all of the required components

and was approved at the local, regional,

and state levels (II.A.5-5).

Allan Hancock College offers two year

degrees and has articulation agreements

with the University of California (UC),

California State University (CSU), and

numerous independent universities for

transfer-level instructional programs

(including the associate degrees for

transfer -- ADTs) that satisfy the breadth,

depth, and rigor for baccalaureate degrees.

Articulation ensures that AHC course and

program sequences are appropriate for the

lower-division bachelor degree

requirements. In 2015-2016, the college

had 781 UC and 1,505 CSU course by-

major articulation agreements (II.A.5-6).

Allan Hancock College degree programs

include an area of emphasis or study,

program outcomes, and a selection of

general education courses which can be

completed onsite or online. The AP&P

committee reviews courses for inclusion in

the general education categories through a

set of criteria and objectives designed to

develop in students a breadth of

knowledge and allow students to gain a

command of subject areas and methods of

inquiry that characterize the liberally

educated person (II.A.5-7). Through

general education, students expand their

understanding of the physical world and

the complex interrelationships of

individuals and groups within their social

environments; understand the modes of

inquiry of the major disciplines; deepen

appreciation of their artistic and cultural

heritage; become aware of other cultures

and times; strengthen their ability to

communicate, reason, and evaluate

information critically both orally and in

writing; acquire a positive attitude toward

learning; and develop self-understanding.

As a result, they are better able to

recognize, understand, and act upon the

complex personal, social, scientific, and

political issues which confront them.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 175

II.A.6 The institution schedules courses in a manner that allows students to

complete certificate and degree programs within a period of time consistent

with established expectations in higher education.

Eligibility Requirement 9 Educational Programs

The Institution’s principal degree programs are congruent with its mission, are

based on recognized higher education field(s) of study, are of sufficient content

and length, are conducted at levels of quality and rigor appropriate to the

degrees offered, and culminate in identified student outcomes. (II.A.1, II.A.6)

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

By using a variety of methods, Allan

Hancock College schedules courses in a

manner that allows students to complete

certificate and degree programs within a

period of time consistent with established

expectations. Rubrics and charts have been

developed to schedule courses efficiently

and in alignment with program sequences.

Program sequencing information

published in the college catalog provides

timelines for degree or certificate

completion.

II.A.6-1 Academic Policy and

Planning Committee Website

II.A.6-2 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016

II.A.6-3 Business Department

Spreadsheet for Two-Year

Offering

II.A.6-4 Rubric/Tracking Chart for

Spanish Course Offerings

II.A.6-5 Discussion at Dean’s

Meeting for Two-Year

Offering Scheduling

II.A.6-6 Wait Listed Courses Report

II.A.6-7 Final Argos wait list report,

spring semester 2015

II.A.6-8 Required Courses for

Degrees and Certificates

II.A.6-9 Lompoc Valley Center

Degree Plans

II.A.6-10 VAFB CCAF Degree Plan

II.A.6-11 FCC CAMP Human Services

Certificate Plan

II.A.6-12 FCI USP Degree Plan for

Social Science, Liberal Arts,

and Social Behavioral

Sciences

II.A.6-13 DegreeWorks sample

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College faculty are

responsible for developing degree and

certificate programs before they are

submitted to the Academic Senate and the

curriculum committee, known as the

Academic Policy and Planning (AP&P)

Committee. Quality, rigor, and other

requirements are identified on the AP&P

web page (II.A.6-1). Once programs are

developed and approved at the local and

state levels, they are added to the catalog

and schedule. Each program description in

the degrees and certificates section of the

online and print catalog includes the

student learning outcomes (II.A.6-2).

By using a variety of methods and

software, AHC schedules courses in a

manner that allows students to complete

certificate and degree programs within a

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 176

period of time consistent with established

expectations. Scheduling is primarily

prepared by department chairs and deans,

with most associate degrees awarded at 60

successfully completed credit units,

including a general education component.

For most other degrees, the expectation is

that every course needed to complete the

degree is offered within a two-year

sequence, and prerequisite courses are

available early in that sequence (II.A.6-3).

Department chairs and academic deans use

rubrics and charts for course scheduling,

as well as program sequence (II.A.6-3;

II.A.6-4; II.A.6-5). Comprehensive six-

year program review/ annual updates are

used to review two-year course offering

sequence flowcharts. These charts show

the courses needed for several degrees and

certificates, options for offering courses so

that students complete the degree or

certificate in a timely manner, and track

the frequency of offering courses.

Another tool used to schedule courses

efficiently, as well as to meet student

demand, is to look at courses that have

students on waiting lists (“wait-listed

courses”). The wait-listed course reports

allow department chairs and academic

deans to offer more sections of these

courses in the subsequent semester or in an

eight-week session (terms 2 and 4) within

the longer fall and spring semesters

(II.A.6-6). In spring 2015, the final wait

list was only 735 students out of a capacity

of 21,378 or about 3.5% that were not able

to enroll in courses they wanted (II.A.6-7).

The wait-listed reports, correlated with

program sequence flowcharts, inform

course scheduling so that students can earn

degrees or certificates in a timely manner.

The AHC website provides students with

information on the courses needed to

complete degrees and certificates, whether

courses are taken onsite or online (II.A.6-

8). The information is now provided to

students throughout the District, including

the Lompoc Valley Center, Vandenberg

Air Force Base, and the Lompoc

penitentiary sites (II.A.6-9; II.A.6-10;

II.A.6-11; II.A.6-12).

Students may independently explore

certificate and degree pathways online

through a software program called

DegreeWorks (II.A.6-13). DegreeWorks is

a web-based, degree-auditing and tracking

tool which enables students and counselors

to evaluate academic progress towards

graduation. This tool supports real time

delivery of progress towards degree

completion, is accessible, and allows

students to determine what courses are

required to complete a degree.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 177

II.A.7 The institution effectively uses delivery modes, teaching methodologies and

learning support services that reflect the diverse and changing needs of its

students, in support of equity in success for all students.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

The mission of Allan Hancock College is

to serve a diverse community, which is

reflected in a variety of teaching methods

and delivery modes. In the geographically

large District, student access is a

consideration as courses and programs are

proposed and developed. Learning and

student support services use various

delivery modes to align with and to

support instruction.

II.A.7-1 Credit and noncredit class

schedules, Spectrum

II.A.7-2 Distance Learning website

II.A.7-3 Tableau Dashboard Distance

Learning Comparison Tables

II.A.7-4 Assessment and improvement

plan, Spanish 103, Fall 2014

II.A.7-5 Fact Book 2014, Distance

Learning Profile, pgs. 2.9,

2.10

II.A.7-6 Sample of CORs-credit,

transfer, CTE, non-credit).

II.A.7-7 Professional Development

schedules (Flex calendars)

II.A.7-8 AHC Student Equity Plan

2015

II.A.7-9 DE Disaggregated Data for

Disciplines Compared to

State Averages

II.A.7-10 DE Guidelines and Policies

from Online Modules

II.A.7-11 Online Education Initiative

(OEI)

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College effectively uses

delivery modes, teaching methodologies,

and learning support services that reflect

the diverse and changing needs of its

students, in support of equity in success

for all students.

To address both the learning styles and

real-world constraints, such as jobs and

family obligations that our students face,

Allan Hancock College offers courses in a

variety of modes and formats. These

include credit, noncredit, fee based, face-

to-face, hybrid, and weekend workshops

courses offered at various sites (II.A.7-1).

Courses are offered in a varying number of

weekly formats to provide students

flexibility in balancing their work and

personal lives as they pursue their

academic goals.

The District’s large geographic area (3,000

square miles) and lack of public

transportation can make it difficult for

some students to attend classes. The

distance education program provides these

students the access, flexibility, and

convenience to pursue their educational

goals. The College delivers more than 150

online course sections per semester, and

all general education courses can be

completed online (II.A.7-1; II.A.7-2).

While there continues to be a gap in

student success and retention between

online and on-ground courses, as is the

case throughout-the state and nation, by

disaggregating Chancellor’s Office data by

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 178

discipline the college found that success

and retention in AHC online courses is, on

average, slightly better than in similar

online courses statewide (II.A.7-3).

Evidence is also found in recently

completed program reviews. The

Academic Senate Program Review

Committee recommended changes to

program to include comparisons between

online and on-ground courses, especially

in support of equity goals; these revisions

were implemented in fall 2014. The

Academic Senate also reviewed and

updated the Regular and Substantial

Contact Policy for distance learning in

spring 2016. The dialogue on

improvement continues at the department

level, in the Distance Learning Committee,

and in the Student Learning Council. For

example, the Spanish 103 assessment and

improvement plan from fall 2014 found

“the artifacts that were chosen in a face-to-

face course may not work as well in a DL

Course” (II.A.7-4).

Late afternoon and night classes, at both

the Santa Maria and Lompoc campuses,

support the students who cannot attend

classes during the day. The Hispanic

student population is increasing rapidly,

from 40.2% of enrollment in fall 2010 to

51.5% in fall 2013. These students

comprise the largest group in the evening,

and much of the noncredit ESL program is

offered at night to serve them better

(II.A.7-1). Evening courses have the

second largest overall enrollment after

onsite day courses (II.A.7-5).

Teaching methodologies at AHC are

designed to facilitate effective learning

and meet the diverse needs and learning

styles of students. A variety of

instructional methodologies are employed,

including lecture, discussion, small group

work, labs, activities, clinical experience,

field trips, work experience, internships,

apprenticeships, and the academy model.

AHC faculty are cognizant of the benefits

to all student populations of using a

diversity of instructional methodologies

and therefore employ a variety of teaching

methods. Some examples are listed in

CurricUNET in the course outlines of

record (II.A.7-6). Modes and

methodologies are carefully considered at

the time of course development and

approval, and are regularly revisited

during program review. Learning styles

and methods are part of the training all

online faculty receive from the distance

education specialist when they first teach

online (II.A.7-7). In addition, students who

enroll in online courses are able to take a

variety of self-assessments from the

Student Resources area of the Distance

Learning webpages to determine their

readiness to succeed online.

Tutoring support for targeted groups was

identified in the AHC Student Equity Plan

2015-2018 by gender, veterans, ethnicity,

foster youth, and basic skills students

(II.A.7-8). Increasing tutoring services will

support students with the difficult transfer

subject areas, increasing GPAs of

Hispanic/Latino and economically

disadvantaged students and leading to

higher transfer rates at universities.

Activities developed in the Student Equity

Plan support increasing transfer rates for

students identified in the plan (II.A.7-9).

Tutoring support for online students has

been funded to date primarily through

state Basic Skills monies, using

Smarthinking; faculty are piloting

NetTutor, a less expensive component of

the new learning management system

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 179

Canvas, to supplement or replace that

service, as it would be available for all

online students.

Learning support services use delivery

modes and methodologies, including

onsite at various locations, online, via

telephone and email, to maximize student

access. In an effort to address the diverse

educational needs of specific populations,

the College offers student learning support

to instructional programs ranging from

MESA to non-credit ESL, adult basic

skills, and GED preparation. Academic

services such as the library offer online as

well as onsite support. Student Services,

including EOPS/CARE and CalWORKS,

provide services, such as peer mentoring,

book loans, and extra hours of tutoring for

disadvantaged and historically

underrepresented students. The special

needs of students with disabilities are met

through the Learning Assistance Program

(LAP). For example, to provide increased

mobility to access information and

instruction, LAP is using mobile

technology (iPads) as an assistive

technology.

Standard II.B.1 contains a complete

description of academic support services

and delivery modes, and Standards II.C.1

and II.C.3 contain a complete description

of student support services.

The Distance Learning Committee is

discussing the achievement gaps between

face-to-face and online learning with the

intent to make recommendations for

institutional strategies for improvements.

Additionally, the Distance learning

Committee has recommended a more

robust faculty training program that

encompasses technical as well as

pedagogical online teaching skills. Online

modules are in development by the

Distance Learning Specialist, including a

module on DE guidelines and policies

(II.A.7-10). In spring 2016 the Academic

Senate also adopted the state Online

Education Initiative course design rubric

as a reference to current best practices in

distance education courses (II.A.7-11).

While there is evidence that the College

regularly evaluates the quality of programs

to improve student learning, with the

growth in distance learning and the

emergence of new technologies, there are

opportunities for improvement in evening

and online services. The College will

draft a Quality Focus Essay in order to

strengthen the linkage between integrated

evaluation, planning, and resource

allocation to improve student learning and

achievement. In order to support

continuous improvement, the College will

evaluate the effectiveness of evening and

online services and implement appropriate

changes to enhance access and success for

those populations as well as to support

equity goals.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 180

II.A.8 The institution validates the effectiveness of department-wide course and/or

program examinations, where used, including direct assessment of prior

learning. The institution ensures that processes are in place to reduce test

bias and enhance reliability.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College uses only a limited

number of department-wide course or

program examinations. The following

documents provide evidence that these

examinations are validated and that

processes are used to reduce test bias and

enhance reliability.

II.A.8-1 Spanish Common Final

Exam

II.A.8-2 Spanish Common Final

Exam Rubric

II.A.8-3 Holistic Scoring Guide –

Mathematical Equations

II.A.8-4 Math Common Final Exam

II.A.8-5 Allan Hancock College

Algebra I and Algebra II

Final Exams: Learning

Outcomes Study

II.A.8-6 Math Department Retreat

Notes

II.A.8-6

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College uses a limited

number of department-wide course or

program examinations. Math and Spanish

programs employ common finals with

normed rubrics; faculty dialogue about the

instruments and exam results are evidence

of efforts to establish validity and

reliability.

The Spanish program’s common final

examination was developed by the

teaching faculty who established a rubric

and agreed upon answers (II.A.8-1; II.A.8-

2). The rubric, titled “Rubric for the

Cultural Component – Common Final

Exams,” establishes three levels of

performance – outstanding, competent,

and minimal. “Outstanding” performance

is defined as “The student excels at

reflecting on their cultural awareness and

demonstrates appreciation for the cultural

diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.”

Explanations in the rubric are detailed and

provide clear examples.

The math program uses common finals for

Algebra I and Algebra II. To establish

student learning outcomes assessment

data, both full and part-time faculty

participate in norming and grading the

common finals (II.A.8-3, II.A.8-4). The

rubric, “Holistic Scoring Guide –

Mathematical Equations,” includes four

performance levels. The highest level

criteria “Shows full understanding of

mathematical concepts with no

computational errors; executes algorithms

for equations completely and correctly.”

The lowest performance level is described

as “Shows very little, if not limited,

understanding of concepts with major

computational errors; failure to execute

algorithms.” After selecting the

examination questions, the faculty

commissioned a research study in the

college’s Office of Institutional

Effectiveness, formerly Office of

Institutional Research and Planning, to

assess the validity and reliability of test

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 181

scores – thereby analyzing the degree to

which the exams are sound measures of

algebra skills (II.A.8-5). The department

continues to assess test results and makes

necessary changes as needed.

In a number of career and technical

education programs, such as nursing, auto

technology, and public safety, prior

learning of perishable skills is often

assessed. A number of programs,

including public safety, nursing, and

cosmetology, have standardized state

licensure or certification exams. The

nursing program uses the NCLEX-PN

exam as part of a multiple measures,

merit-based scoring criteria for admission

into the RN program.

The math and English programs use the

College Board Accuplacer test instrument.

This assessment provides placement

scores that have predictive validity and are

shown to be reliable indicators of success

when combined with multiple measures.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness

periodically assists the programs with

validation of the placement instrument, as

well as assesses results for

disproportionate impact. Counselors use

multiple measures for placement. The

assessment process includes interviews by

a counselor to gather information about a

student’s study skills, learning and career

goals, computational skills, English

language proficiency, educational and

employment histories, academic

performance, and need for special

services. The counselor may utilize

personal interviews, career aptitude and

interest inventories, high school or

postsecondary transcripts, or other

measures of performance, for example

specialized licenses or military training, to

aid in the assessment process for course

placement. This process ensures more than

one measure is used in the assessment

process for course placement. The English

and Math Departments meet with

counselors to discuss multiple measures

(II.A.8-6). A counselor also sits on the

District’s Academic Policy and Planning

committee and is instrumental in the

curriculum review process when new

English and math courses are created or

modified.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 182

II.A.9 The institution awards course credit, degrees and certificates based on

student attainment of learning outcomes. Units of credit awarded are

consistent with institutional policies that reflect generally accepted norms

or equivalencies in higher education. If the institution offers courses

based on clock hours, it follows Federal standards for clock-to-credit-hour

conversions.

Eligibility Requirement 10. Academic Credit

The institution awards academic credits based on generally accepted practices

in degree-granting institutions of higher education and in accordance with

statutory or system regulatory requirements. The institution provides

appropriate information about the awarding of academic credit. (Standard

II.A.9 and II.A.10)

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College’s policies on the

awarding of units of credit are based on

generally accepted practices in degree-

granting institutions in higher education.

These policies and practices delineate

consistent parameters for awarding units of

credit and in compliance with state and

federal regulations. Information and

resource materials are published in the

college catalog and the Academic Policy

and Planning Curriculum Development

Guide.

II.A.9-1 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4100, Transfer of

Credit and Course Waiver

II.A.9-2 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4020, Curriculum

Development

II.A.9-3 Allan Hancock College

Academic Policy and

Planning Committee (AP&P)

curriculum development

website

II.A.9-4 California Community

College Chancellor’s Office

Program and Course

Approval Handbook, 5th

edition, pages 80-81

II.A.9-5 Chancellor’s Office Hours to

Units Memo and Guidelines

II.A.9-6 Curriculum Development

Handbook, pages 46-50 and

55

II.A.9-7 Instructions for the COR,

pages 46-50

II.A.9-8 Course Outline of Record -

LE 320

II.A.9-9 Course Outline of Record -

CWE 149

II.A.9-10 Noncredit Course Outline of

Record

II.A.9-11 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, pages

40-41 and 58-61

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College awards course

credits, degrees, and certificates based on

students’ attainment of student learning

outcomes (SLOs), as determined by

faculty. Students must maintain a 2.0

grade point average to earn a degree or

certificate. These procedures and policies

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 183

apply equally to credits and degrees

earned onsite or online.

AHC awards units of credit consistent

with institutional policies, for example

Board Policy/Administrative Procedures

4100 and 4020, that follow generally

accepted norms or equivalencies in higher

education (II.A.9-1; II.A.9-2). The

District’s policies base the definition of

credit hour on federal regulations that

comply with financial aid eligibility.

Resource materials on the AHC Academic

Policy and Planning Committee (AP&P)

curriculum development website are

evidence that the college adheres to state

and federal guidelines (II.A.9-3). In

establishing units of credit, courses at

AHC are in compliance with regulations

and the parameters established by the

California Community College

Chancellor’s Office for colleges operating

on the semester system (II.A.9-4).

Calculations are based on the total number

of learning hours, including lecture hours,

lab hours or activity hours, and expected

hours of study outside of class, in a

semester expressed as a minimum of 48

hours to a maximum of 54 hours for 1 unit

of credit. As a matter of standard practice

in higher education, one hour of lecture

requires two hours of outside study

(II.A.9-5). The table below represents

ratios of in-class and outside-of-class

hours used at AHC (II.A.9-6).

The Curriculum Development Handbook

and the Instructions for the Course Outline

of Record are in place to assist faculty in

applying an appropriate number of hours

and assignments when developing new

curriculum (II.A.9-6; II.A.9-7). To ensure

accuracy and consistency in calculations

across instructional categories and

modalities using the established

relationship of hours to units, automated

formulas are in place in the college’s

curriculum management software,

CurricUNET. To accommodate other

classifications of courses not following the

standard for credit hour calculations,

AHC’s CurricUNET design includes an

override feature that allows appropriate

entries of hours/units for noncredit, clock

hour, and/or cooperative work experience

courses (II.A.9-8; II.A.9-9; II.A.9-10).

The College catalog provides the

information to students on the awarding of

academic credit for degrees and

certificates including transfer of credit

from other colleges and course

substitutions as allowed per Board Policy

4100, Transfer of Credit and Course

Waiver (II.A.9-11).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 184

II.A.10 The institution makes available to its students clearly stated transfer-of-

credit policies in order to facilitate the mobility of students without penalty.

In accepting transfer credits to fulfill degree requirements, the institution

certifies that the expected learning outcomes for transferred courses are

comparable to the learning outcomes of its own courses. Where patterns of

student enrollment between institutions are identified, the institution

develops articulation agreements as appropriate to its mission. (ER 10)

ER 10 Academic Credit

The institution awards academic credits based on generally accepted practices

in degree-granting institutions of higher education and in accordance with

statutory or system regulatory requirements. The institution provides

appropriate information about the awarding of academic credit.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College makes transfer-of-

credit policies clearly accessible through

its catalog and website. District counselors

work with students to facilitate mobility

and ease transfer. Articulation agreements

exist as part of the AHC mission to serve

our diverse community.

II.A.10-1 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4100, Transfer of

Credit and Course Waiver

II.A.10-2 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, Transfer

of Credit and Course Waiver

Catalog statement, page 41

II.A.10-3 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016,

Associate Degree transfer of

credit policy, page 61 #4

under the “Petitioning

Procedures for the Associate

Degree” section

II.A.10-4 AHC Counseling Course

Substitution and/or Waiver

Form

II.A.10-5 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, CSU GE

Pass Along Statement, page

55

II.A.10-6 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, IGETC

Pass Along Statement, page

53-54

II.A.10-7 Pass Along Forms and

Counseling Grid

II.A.10-8 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, AP,

CLEP & IB statements, page

40-41

II.A.10-9 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, AHC

AP, CLEP & IB Equivalency

List, page 42-43

II.A.10-10 AHC Course Outline High

School Comparison

Examples

II.A.10-11 ASSIST (AHC 2015-2016

Transfer Course Agreements

in ASSIST)

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 185

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College has clearly stated

policies and procedures for the transfer-of-

credit from other institutions. Board Policy

4100, Transfer of Credit and Course

Waiver, addresses credit transfer from

other institutions (II.A.10-1). Transfer-of-

credit information is also in the “Transfer

of Credit and Course Waiver” section of

the college catalog (II.A.10-2; II.A.10-3).

District processes and procedures facilitate

transfer of credit and ensure comparable

rigor. Students request credit for

coursework taken at other institutions

through the Counseling Department,

which uses the Course Substitution and/or

Waiver form to aid faculty in evaluating

course syllabi and/or course outlines of

record (II.A.10-4). Criteria do not include

whether coursework was completed onsite

or online. Students with foreign transcripts

must have them translated and evaluated

by a US-qualified agency prior to AHC

faculty review.

A similar procedure is in place to petition

that credits transferred from other

institutions are applied to the District’s

transfer general education patterns,

California State University General

Education Breadth (CSU GE), and

Intersegmental General Education

Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). The

policies and procedures are stated in the

transfer information section of the catalog

and are supported by the Counseling

Department CSU, GE and IGETC Pass

Along forms which are reviewed by the

articulation officer (II.A.10-5; II.A.10-6;

II.A.10-7).

In addition to coursework transfer-of-

credit policies and procedures, course

subject and unit credit equivalency lists

are in the AHC catalog for external

examinations that include Advanced

Placement (AP), College Level

Examination Program (CLEP), and

International Baccalaureate (IB) (II.A.10-

8; II.A.10-9). These aid students in

receiving credit for courses that primarily

satisfy GE requirements.

Articulation agreements have been in

place with local high schools for over 25

years; the AHC catalog describes the high

school course articulation policy (II.A.10-

2). Allan Hancock College’s instructional

departments are responsible for identifying

high school courses that are deemed

equivalent to specific Allan Hancock

College courses. Once a student has

successfully completed a more advanced

course in the discipline at the college, the

student will receive college credit. The

articulated course will appear on the

student’s transcript as a high school

articulated course. During 2014-2015, a

new procedure for establishing high school

articulation was instituted. In addition to

submitting their course material and

examinations for Allan Hancock College

faculty review, high school instructors

now identify how their courses address the

college’s course outline of record,

including Student Learning Outcomes.

AHC Course Outline High School

Comparison forms were developed for this

procedure (II.A.10-10).

Articulation agreements between the

District and both California State

University (CSU) and the University of

California (UC) are listed in the official

state articulation repository ASSIST.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 186

During the 2015-2016 academic year, the

college had 1,505 By-Major and 1,216 By-

Department course articulation agreements

with CSU, and 781 By-Major and 380 By-

Department course articulation agreements

with the UC system (II.A.10-11).

During the last three years, AHC’s

articulation efforts focused on developing

or revising courses to match the Course

Identification (C-ID) course descriptors, a

California initiative to identify a common

course numbering system. This effort

addresses SB 1400 and SB 440 laws that

require Associate Degrees for Transfer

(ADT) based on C-ID course descriptors.

In addition to the C-ID effort, the college’s

articulation officer is constantly reviewing

course articulation with individual CSU

and UC campuses, as well as with system-

wide articulation entities such as the CSU

GE and IGETC review committees.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 187

II.A.11 The institution includes in all of its programs, student learning outcomes,

appropriate to the program level, in communication competency,

information competency, quantitative competency, analytic inquiry skills,

ethical reasoning, the ability to engage diverse perspectives, and other

program-specific learning outcomes.

Evidence of meeting the Standard

The following documents provide

evidence that Allan Hancock College, in

all its programs, includes student learning

outcomes appropriate to the program level.

II.A.11-1 Institutional Learning

Outcomes

II.A.11-2 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016,

Institutional Learning

Outcomes, pages 8-9

II.A.11-3 SLO Achievement Report:

ISLOs/PSLOs Overall for

Courses, November 07, 2014

II.A.11-4 Information & Technology

Literacy ILO Assessment

Report, Ratings Percentages

by ILO Dimension, page 51

II.A.11-5 Information & Technology

Literacy ILO Assessment

Report, Recommendations

II.A.11-6 ILO Six-Year Assessment

Plan

II.A.11-7 Learning Outcomes &

Assessment Committee –

Academic Affairs Retreat

Minutes, October 3, 2014

II.A.11-8 Learning Outcomes &

Assessment Committee –

Academic Affairs Retreat

Minutes, August 13, 2014

II.A.11-9 ISLO Summary Map by

Course – 100 Level Courses,

October 03, 2014

II.A.11-10 ISLO Summary Map by

Course – 300 Level Courses,

October 03, 2014

II.A.11-11 Academic Senate Minutes

02/16/16

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College includes student

learning outcomes, appropriate to the

program’s level, in all programs. The

outcomes are listed in the AHC catalog

description for each program. All courses,

including general education courses, link

to the institutional learning outcomes

(ILOs). Discipline faculty determines

which ILOs are encompassed in their

program by mapping courses in the

program to ILOs, as well as developing

additional program-specific outcomes.

The College has defined ILOs as

communication, critical thinking and

problem solving, global awareness and

cultural competence, information and

technology literacy, quantitative literacy,

scientific literacy, and personal

responsibility and development (II.A.11-

1). “Upon receiving an associate’s degree

from Allan Hancock College, students will

have achieved proficiency in these areas”

(II.A.11-2).

To measure student proficiency of ILOs,

faculty and staff mapped each course and

service-area outcome to one ILO and one

program-level outcome and, with data

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 188

collected since fall 2010, show students

are meeting and exceeding ILO standards

consistently each term (II.A.11-3).

Overall, 39% of students are exceeding

standards, 47% of students are meeting

standards and only 14% of students are

below the standard. Prior to using an

abundance of eLumen data, assessment

data were collected and analyzed using

rubrics in 2011-2013 for each ILO by an

interdisciplinary Evidence Team (II.A.11-

4). The Information and Technology

Literacy Team was the one team that

showed less than expected results.

The evidence team stated in their

recommendation that “the institution

should consider the relationship between

technology and information literacy – are

they separate outcomes?” Team noted the

growth in importance of our use of

technology seems to be an applicable

outcome across all ILOs – not just this

one. The evidence team recommended that

the information and technology ILO be

split into two ILOs” (II.A.11-5). Based on

this assessment recommendation and the

ILO Six-Year Assessment Plan, additional

campus-wide feedback was solicited

through department meetings in fall 2014

to educate the faculty on the

recommendation and discuss splitting the

ILO (II.A.11-6; II.A.11-7). A new ILO

team convened in spring 2015 to

implement changes, work with faculty to

remap their courses, and run and review

reports.

Significant conversation has occurred

regarding courses that were originally

mapped to the ILOs. In fall 2014, the

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Committee – Academic Affairs (LOAC-

AA) approved this item as one of their

goals for 2014-2015 to review and remove

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 189

the basic skills and remedial courses (300,

400 and 500 levels), so they can more

accurately measure this proficiency

(II.A.11-8; II.A.11-9; II.A.11-10). This

conversation continues as Academic

Senate has referred the item to basic skills

department for discussion and

recommendations (II.A.11-11).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 190

II.A.12 The institution requires of all of its degree programs a component of

general education based on a carefully considered philosophy for both

associate and baccalaureate degrees that is clearly stated in its catalog.

The institution, relying on faculty expertise, determines the

appropriateness of each course for inclusion in the general education

curriculum, based upon student learning outcomes and competencies

appropriate to the degree level. The learning outcomes include a student’s

preparation for and acceptance of responsible participation in civil

society, skills for lifelong learning and application of learning, and a

broad comprehension of the development of knowledge, practice, and

interpretive approaches in the arts and humanities, the sciences,

mathematics, and social sciences.

Eligibility Requirement 12. General Education

The institution defines and incorporates into all of its degree programs a

substantial component of general education designed to ensure breadth of

knowledge and promote intellectual inquiry. The general education component

includes an introduction to some of the major areas of knowledge. General

education courses are selected to ensure students achieve comprehensive

learning outcomes in the degree program. Degree credit for the general

education component must be consistent with levels of quality and rigor

appropriate to higher education. (II.A.12, II.A.5)

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College requires a

component of general education for each

degree based on a philosophy stated in

the college catalog and the AHC

Curriculum Development Handbook.

This philosophy takes into account

principles designed to assist faculty in

reviewing GE courses. The courses

selected for general education clearly

articulate such GE principles in their

course outlines of record.

II.A.12-1 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, pages

57-58

II.A.12-2 GE Worksheets used by

AP&P Committee

II.A.12-3 GE category map to ILOs

II.A.12-4 Guiding Notes for General

Education Course

Reviewers, published by the

CSU/UC, January 2012

II.A.12-5 AHC Curriculum

Development Handbook

(CDH)), pages 69, 70, and

78

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College requires a

component of general education for each

degree that is based on a carefully

considered philosophy for both associate

and baccalaureate degrees (II.A.12-1). The

college catalog states that “general

education is a pattern of courses designed

to develop in students a breadth of

knowledge and allow students to gain

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 191

command of subject areas and methods of

inquiry that characterize the liberally

educated person” (II.A.12-1).

The Academic Policy and Planning

Committee (AP&P) relies on faculty

expertise to determine the appropriateness

of each course for inclusion in the general

education curriculum, based upon learning

outcomes and competencies appropriate to

the degree level. Faculty also propose

conversion of GE courses to the online

modality through the AP&P process. In

order to provide better access in the large

semi-rural District, all GE is available

online. A list of online GE courses is

available through the Student Resources

area of the Distance Learning webpages.

These learning outcomes and

competencies are reflected in GE

worksheets that faculty must complete and

submit to AP&P for review and approval

at the local level (II.A.12-2).

The five general education categories on

the GE Worksheets are:

Natural Sciences

Human Institutions

Humanities

Language and Rationality (which

addresses written composition,

communication, and analytical

thinking)

Living Skills (which addresses a

student’s preparation for and

acceptance of responsible

participation in civil society, skills

for lifelong learning, and

application of learning).

The five general education categories are

mapped to the seven AHC institutional

learning outcomes (II.A.12-3).

The AP&P Committee examines the

course outline of record for evidence to

approve the course’s inclusion in these

categories. Using Guiding Notes for

General Education Reviewers and the

AHC Curriculum Development Handbook,

committee members are trained to review

the course outline of record for course

content, instructional objectives,

evaluation methods, assigned homework,

and student learning outcomes (II.A.12-4;

II.A.12-5). They also assess the level,

scope, integrity, generality, critical

thinking, continuing study, and cultural

diversity in the course of record.

Overall, courses meeting GE criteria

provide students with a broad

comprehension of the development of

knowledge, practice, and interpretive

approaches in the arts and humanities, the

sciences, mathematics, and social sciences.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 192

II.A.13 All degree programs include focused study in at least one area of inquiry or

in an established interdisciplinary core. The identification of specialized

courses in an area of inquiry or interdisciplinary core is based upon

student learning outcomes and competencies, and includes mastery, at the

appropriate degree level, of key theories and practices within the field of

study.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College offers degrees that

focus on one area of inquiry or an

interdisciplinary core. All courses have

established student learning outcomes and

assessment. Through outcomes

assessment, faculty measure student

mastery of key theories and practices

within degree areas.

II.A.13-1 New Program Proposal,

Curriculum Development

Handbook

II.A.13-2 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016,

Associate Degree for

Transfer Program

Requirements, pages 58-61

II.A.13-3 Chancellor’s Office Program

Awards Summary

II.A.13-4 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, Degrees

and Certificates, pages 64-65

II.A.13-5 SLO Achievement Report

11/24/14

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College offers four types

of associate degrees: the associate in arts

(AA), the associate in science (AS), and as

of fall 2011, the associate in arts for

transfer (AA-T) and associate in science

for transfer (AS-T).

The associate in arts degree offers lower-

division preparation for a student planning

to transfer to a four-year public or private

university or college. The associate in

science degree provides training for

students focusing on a specific

occupational area. Students obtaining

these degrees must complete all AHC

graduation requirements. The faculty

determine the amount of focused study in

each program, based on learning outcomes

that demonstrate mastery of competencies,

theories, and practices (II.A.13-1). Units

of study that are required in the major

vary, for example from 21 in English to 25

in business administration for an AA.; and

from 21 in recreation management to 42

units in early childhood studies for an AS

degree.

AA-T and AS-T degrees are designed for

students wishing to earn a degree at a

California State University (CSU) in the

same or similar field. Students who

successfully complete an AA-T or AS-T

degree are guaranteed admission to a CSU

campus, although not necessarily the

campus of their choice, to finish a four-

year degree. These students are exempt

from some AHC graduation requirements

but must satisfy the CSU general-

education pattern (II.A.13-2).

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 193

AHC currently offers 27 AA, 53 AS, 10

AA-T, and 6 AS-T degrees. Each degree

requires completion of at least 18 units

within the major, a minimum of 60 total

units, and a grade of a C or better in each

major course. A minimum of 25 percent of

required units in the major must be

completed at AHC (II.A.13-3).

The District’s degree programs include

focused study in at least one area of

inquiry or in an established

interdisciplinary core. All degree programs

have program-level student learning

outcomes that are printed in the college

catalog (II.A.13-4). Courses are mapped to

degree program outcomes and institutional

level outcomes to measure mastery, and

assessment data are entered by faculty and

stored in eLumen. As of fall 2014, 86

percent of students show mastery by

meeting or exceeding standards at the

institutional level while only 14 percent

fall below the standard as assessed by

faculty (II.A.13-5).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 194

II.A.14 Graduates completing career technical certificates and degrees

demonstrate technical and professional competencies that meet

employment and other applicable standards and are prepared for

external licensure and certification.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College graduates

completing Career Technical Education

(CTE) certificates and degrees

demonstrate technical and professional

competencies through a variety of

methods. This evidence indicates that

graduates completing AHC career

technical certificates and degrees

demonstrate the competencies that meet

employment and other applicable

standards and that they are prepared for

external licensure and certification.

II.A.14-1 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, pages

64-125

II.A.14-2 Allan Hancock College

Catalog Addendum 2015-

2016

II.A.14-3 Allan Hancock College

Career Technical Education

website

II.A.14-4 AHC Statistical Picture 2013-

2014

II.A.14-5 eLumen data showing CTE

Program Outcomes and

achievement data

II.A.14-6 Pass rates for various CTE-

related licensing exams

(Nursing, Medical Assisting)

II.A.14-7 Fact Book 2014, pages 7-10

II.A.14-8 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4102, Advisory

Committees for Instructional

Programs

II.A.14-9 Core indicator information

from the Chancellor’s

website on AHC CTE

Programs

II.A.14-10 Administrative Procedure

3255, Program Review,

Educational Program

Review

II.A.14-11 CWE Education Plan,

Board Agenda Item 13.B,

April 12, 2016

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College offers 107 CTE

certificates, 54 CTE associate

degrees and five CTE associate

degrees for transfer. Degrees and

certifications are listed in the college

catalog, the college CTE website, and

through various brochures and advertising

publications such as the Statistical Picture

2013-2014 brochure (II.A.14-1; II.A.14-2;

II.A.14-3; II.A.14-4).

AHC graduates completing CTE

certificates and degrees demonstrate

technical and professional competencies

through a variety of methods. CTE

programs in the college catalog list student

learning outcomes (SLOs), which are

measurable through mapped course-level

outcomes. Assessment, evaluation,

analysis, and collection of SLOs are

housed in the eLumen system (II.A.14-5).

Program outcomes indicate that students

meet or exceed program-level outcomes,

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 195

as well as course-level outcomes (II.A.14-

5).

Many CTE programs have licensing

requirements. The high pass rate of CTE

graduates demonstrates attainment of

course and program outcomes and

acquisition of professional competencies

that meet employment demand (II.A.14-6).

The following programs have external

licensure or certification testing and follow

the instructional standards and staffing

prescribed by the appropriate licensing

board or agency: registered nursing,

licensed vocational nursing, dental,

cosmetology, fire, emergency medical

services, law enforcement, real estate,

early childhood studies, auto, welding, and

human services.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness

tracks all academic programs through

annual discipline summary reports

published in the Fact Book 2014 (II.A.14-

7). Key performance indicators for CTE

and transfer are compared in Section 11.

CTE programs without external

licensure—for example, film and video

production, computer business office,

applied design/media and machine

technology—are compliant with CTE

reporting requirements, and faculty meet

regularly with advisory committees and/or

industry partners. The College Advisory

Committees, listed on the college’s CTE

webpage, meet a minimum of once a year

and twice a year for those receiving grant

funding and are relied upon for updating

coursework, recommending new

technology, and keeping faculty current on

emerging trends (II.A.14-8). Faculty

revises curriculum and program

requirements to meet changing industry

needs that they identify or that are

recommended by advisory committees and

industry partners.

By keeping CTE programs current as

industries change, the college prepares

students for employment. Core indicator

reports on Skills Attainment show that the

programs are meeting expected goals

(II.A.14-9). Faculty use core indicator

information from the Chancellor’s Office

website to help analyze progress in

meeting program goals. A comprehensive

program review is conducted every six-

years and CTE programs are required to

complete the annual update which replaces

the two-year program review (II.A.14-10).

The annual update for vocational programs

addresses, in addition to the other

components, whether the program: (a)

meets a documented labor market demand;

(b) does not represent unnecessary

duplication of other manpower training

programs in the area; and (c) is of

demonstrated effectiveness as measured

by the employment and completion

success of its students. Updated faculty

skills and innovative programs result from

a well-established process of grant

application, implementation, assessment,

and reporting as well as regular

participation in program review.

To increase both student employment and

collaboration with area industry partners,

the college prioritized two full-time,

permanent Career counselors during fall

2014. The career counselor positions

provide vocational, academic, and

personal guidance to prospective, new, and

returning AHC students. They also

provide leadership in the campus Career

Center and act as liaisons with area

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 196

employers, high school and college CTE

faculty and programs, and participate in

outreach and professional development

activities. This deliberate goal of increased

career counselor funding aligns with

national and state labor initiatives to

increase employment and improve student

vocational skill attainment.

The AHC College Work Experience

(CWE) program was reviewed and

revitalized. A program director was

assigned to oversee the CWE program

plan development through a campus-wide

constituent review process that culminated

in board approval of the revised plan on

April 12, 2016 (II.A.14-9).

The AHC Apprenticeship Training

program is composed of three separate

vocational training programs: Operating

Engineers (Heavy Equipment)

Apprenticeship, Electricians

Apprenticeship, and Plumbers (Pipe

Trades) Apprenticeship. Each program

provides related and supplemental

instruction to apprentices that are

regulated by the California Division of

Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) and the

Chancellor of the California Community

Colleges (CCCCO).

On-the-job training is coordinated by the

program sponsor and related and

supplemental instruction is supported

through Allan Hancock College for all

three vocational training programs.

The District’s CTE federal funding

decreased from over $1 million in 2008-

2009 to $511,787 in 2014-2015. Despite

reduced funding, all CTE core indicators

continue to be met, and enrollment in the

programs has not substantially decreased

(II.A.14-11). The major impact has been a

reduction in CTE degrees and certificates

awarded due to decreased class offerings

beginning in 2010. The result was a 50

percent drop in AS degrees awarded, from

226 in 2012-2013 to 98 in 2013-2014

(II.A.14-7). The number of awarded

certificates declined from 494 in 2012-

2013 to 248 in 2013-2014 (II.A.14-7).

Now, as state educational budgets are

restored, this trend should reverse as class

sections are increased.

While there is evidence that the college

integrates program review, planning, and

resource allocation, improvements can be

made in the clarity of the processes in

order to demonstrate that they lead to

institutional effectiveness. Current and

proposed changes to funding for CTE

programs and statewide CTE career

pathway initiatives make it all the more

critical that program outcomes, program

review, and integrated planning be central

to improvement plans for CTE programs.

The College will draft a Quality Focus

Essay in order to improve the linkage

between integrated evaluation, planning,

and resource allocation to improve student

learning and achievement.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 197

II.A.15 When programs are eliminated or program requirements are significantly

changed, the institution makes appropriate arrangements so that enrolled

students may complete their education in a timely manner with a

minimum of disruption.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College Board Policy

4021, Program Vitality, stipulates the

conditions under which a program will be

discontinued, which also requires a

phasing out plan to ensure students

complete selected program with a

minimum of disruption to their educational

goals. Administrative Procedure 4021

stipulates the formation of an evaluation

committee, comprised of faculty discipline

experts, a student, dean, classified staff

from the affected program, an advisory

committee member, and institutional

research staff to review and recommend

the potential discontinuance of a program

properly. Per the administrative procedure,

the evaluation committee is charged with

making a formal recommendation to the

Academic Policy and Planning (AP&P)

Committee regarding the status of a

program under review.

II.A.15-1 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4021, Program

Vitality, Adopted May 17,

2011; Revised April 21, 2015

II.A.15-2 Initial Discontinuance

Considerations Discussion:

ENVT and Drama Tech

Programs on September 13,

2012

II.A.15-3 Environmental Technology

Program Evaluation

Committee Program

Discontinuance Evaluation

Report, April 2012

II.A.15-4 Program Discontinuance

Report Drama – Technical

Theatre

II.A.15-5 Environmental Technology

Program Discontinuance

Meeting Minutes

II.A.15-6 Academic Policy and

Planning Committee

Description

II.A.15-7 Memo to College Council

dated 10/29/14 with revised

Board Policy 4021

II.A.15-8 Academic Planning and

Policy Committee Goals:

Development of the Program

Vitality Resource Guide

II.A.15-9 Academic Planning and

Policy Committee:

Developing Sub Groups and

Timelines

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College adopted Board

Policy and Administrative Procedure 4021

on May 17, 2011 to address program

discontinuance and establish processes for

such (II.A.15-1). Administrative

Procedure 4021 notes that quantitative and

qualitative data must be used to assess a

program’s academic relevance and vitality,

including the program’s alignment with

the college’s mission. The conditions for

discontinuance of a program are clearly

stated in this procedure (II.A.15-1).

Programs under Board Policy and

Administrative Procedure 4021 are

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 198

identified via a process that starts with

Academic Affairs every fall (II.A.15-1). A

formal list of programs identified under

Board Policy and Administrative

Procedure 4021 is provided to Academic

Senate along with the supporting data.

Program review data are identified as one

of the components to be analyzed when

comprising the data to identify programs

under this policy and procedure (II.A.15-

1). Academic Senate then calls for the

formation of evaluation committees, and

the vitality reports submitted by these

evaluation committees are submitted to

Academic Affairs and Academic Senate. It

is Academic Senate that forwards the

evaluation reports to the Academic Policy

and Planning (AP&P) Committee, which

then sets the timelines for review and

recommendations which are not to exceed

120 days, exclusive of summer and winter

breaks (II.A.15-1).

AP&P is a standing sub-committee of

Academic Senate charged with curriculum

development. This committee includes,

among others, representatives from

Counseling and Admissions & Records,

ensuring that when the recommendation is

to discontinue a program, faculty will

provide students with adequate

notification or changes to program

requirements or elimination of the

program via college catalog, schedule of

classes, program website, and counselors,

and student education plans and academic

records will be considered in the phase-out

process.

The discontinuance procedure requires the

formation of an evaluation committee, and

this policy clearly delineates the make up

for such a committee (II.A.15-1). The

qualitative factors to be considered are

listed in this procedure (II.A.15-1). These

qualitative factors are aligned with the

college mission, values, and goals,

including equity of access for all students.

Quantitative factors and data are provided

by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness

and include such factors as a sustained

downward trend in FTES generated,

sustained increase in expense or annual

cost/FTES, changes in industry that lead to

program obsolesce, enrollment trends, and

others (II.A.15-1). The evaluation

committee then produces a report, the

Vitality Report, in which the committee

presents its findings and

recommendations, including

implementation timelines (II.A.15-1). The

evaluation committee can make one of

three determinations upon review of all

data and appropriate analysis: (1) continue

program, (2) continue program with

qualifications, or (3) discontinue program.

The procedure states that when

discontinuance is recommended, “the

recommendation must provide either a

way for currently enrolled students to

continue their programs of study or a plan

for them to meet their educational

objectives through alternative means”

(II.A.15-1). If a program is recommended

for discontinuance, the report must include

a detailed plan and timelines for the

phasing out of the program to ensure the

least amount of impact on the students

(II.A.15-1).

Under this policy and procedure adopted

in 2011, two programs were subsequently

recommended for consideration of

discontinuance, Environmental

Technology and Drama: Design/Technical

Theatre. It is important to explain that the

evaluation committees for each program

did not recommend discontinuance in each

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 199

case (II.A.15-2). Examples of Vitality

Report are the final report of the

Environmental Technology Program

Evaluation Committee and the Drama:

Design/Technical Theatre (II.A.15-3;

II.A.15-4). The Environmental

Technology Program Evaluation

Committee, for example, met on three

occasions and reviewed labor market and

program review data; the committee also

discussed shortcomings in the original

Board Policy and Administrative

Procedure (II.A.15-5). With regard to the

Drama: Design/Technical Theatre

Evaluation Committee, their report

indicated that qualifications were needed

(II.A.15-4). When a program is

recommended to continue with

qualifications, the program modifications

are routed to the Academic Policy and

Planning Committee (II.A.15-6).

As a result of unintended gaps in the

original Board Policy and Administrative

Procedure, a revised policy and procedure

was drafted and forwarded to College

Council on October 2014 for final vetting

through the college governance processes

(II.A.15-7). The policy was renamed

Program Vitality and additional

clarification was included regarding

committee roles and responsibilities. The

procedure maintains the same language

regarding impact on students and need to

ensure that students meet their educational

needs. Further, the Academic Policy and

Planning (AP&P) Committee has been

tasked with the development of a Program

Vitality Resource Guide that would

delineate the items required by this

committee to review programs properly

under potential discontinuance, including

templates for potential phasing-out

timelines (II.A.15-8; II.A.15-9).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 200

II.A.16 The institution regularly evaluates and improves the quality and currency

of all instructional programs offered in the name of the institution,

including collegiate, pre-collegiate, career-technical, and continuing and

community education courses and programs, regardless of delivery mode

or location. The institution systematically strives to improve programs and

courses to enhance learning outcomes and achievement for students.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Substantial evidence demonstrates the

institution’s efforts to provide quality

educational programs in all modalities

and in all service locations. The quality

and currency of new programs as well as

modifications to existing curriculum are

reviewed through by the Academic

Policy and Planning Committee, a

subcommittee of the Academic Senate,

and then are approved by the Board of

Trustees. Board Policy and

Administrative Procedures 3255 outline

the process for the review of all

educational programs and services on a

six-year cycle, with annual updates,

including assessment of student learning

and achievement outcomes. These

processes ensure continuous review and

improvement of courses and programs at

all levels.

II.A.16-1 Curriculum Development

Handbook

II.A.16-2 CNET (CurricUNET)

Curriculum Proposal

Review Process

II.A.16-3 Meeting minutes from DL

Committee

II.A.16-4 Councils and Committees

Pathways to Decisions

(CCPD), page 22

II.A.16-5 Board Policy and

Administrative Procedures

3255, Program Review

II.A.16-6 Program Review Resource

Guide: Course Review and

Student Data Collection

II.A.16-7 2014-2015 VPAA Program

Review Memo

II.A.16-8 Program Review Matrix

II.A.16-9 Program Review Training

PowerPoint October 7,

2014

II.A.16-10 Sign-In Sheets September

12, 2012

II.A.16-11 Program Review Resource

Guide: Academic and

Vocational Programs

II.A.16-12 Nursing-RN Program

Review 2011-2012

II.A.16-13 Annual Update Sample

II.A.16-14 Art 2014 SLOs Data and

Improvement Plans

II.A.16-15 Noncredit Faculty

Evaluation Sample

II.A.16-16 Community Education

Program Review spring

2016

II.A.16-17 Email, November 26, 2014,

Elaine Healy, Coordinator,

Community Education

II.A.16-18 Noncredit Student

Evaluation of Instruction

Form

II.A.16-19 Program Review

Committee Description,

Academic Senate Website

II.A.16-20 Academic Senate minutes

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 201

II.A.16-21 Memo to Institutional

Research from Program

Review Committee

II.A.16-22 Comprehensive Program

Review Self Study

Revisions 2015

II.A.16-23 Program Review

Committee Minutes

Analysis and Evaluation

The quality and currency of new courses

and programs is reviewed through the

Academic Policy and Planning

Committee (AP&P), a subcommittee of

Academic Senate. All credit courses and

programs, including collegiate and pre-

collegiate, undergo a rigorous approval

process. Modifications designed to

improve existing courses and programs

must also be submitted for review and

approval. Prior to submission to AP&P,

course and program development and

modification are subject to extensive

dialogue at the discipline, department,

and administrative levels. Courses to be

offered in distance modalities undergo

additional scrutiny to ensure that these

courses conform to the technical and

pedagogical standards established by the

college (II.A.16-1; II.A.16-2). Other

venues, including the Distance Learning

Committee, Student Learning Council,

and Academic Senate, contribute to

quality assurance through examination of

issues pertinent to instruction, such as

defining substantive effective contact

(II.A.16-3).

All credit educational programs and

services undergo a comprehensive review

at least every six years as well as an

annual review (II.A.16-4; II.A.16-5).

The six-year comprehensive review is

preceded by a course review during the

year prior to the program review. In

course review, discipline faculty review

course outlines of record for currency,

appropriateness and to re-establish

prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, and

general education status. A course review

verification form reports those course

outlines that will be submitted for

modification to the AP&P Committee

(II.A.16-6).

By April 1 each year, the vice president of

Academic Affairs distributes the program

and course review schedule for the

upcoming fiscal year via memo. This

notification identifies programs scheduled

for a six-year comprehensive review and

disciplines scheduled for a six-year course

review (II.A.16-7). All other instructional

programs not scheduled for the six-year

comprehensive or course review are

required to complete an annual program

review update. Each of these processes—

six-year review, course review, and annual

update—provides avenues for an ongoing

collection and review of data for purposes

of identifying teaching and learning

strategies for student success, maintaining

currency and appropriateness of

curriculum, and identifying needed

resources for budget and planning

purposes.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness

provides common data sets, training in the

uses of data, and additional technical

assistance as needed. Data include student

achievement data, such as retention and

course and program completion, as well as

student learning outcomes and assessment

data as recorded by faculty and entered

into eLumen (II.A.16-8). Academic

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 202

Affairs staff provide additional assistance

and training to faculty (II.A.16-9; II.A.16-

10). Program reviews conclude with an

external review by a validation team

(II.A.16-5; II.A.16-11). All instructional

sites and modalities are included in the

established review processes and

standards.

Established in 2010-2011, the annual

update revisits the plan of action

established at the end of the last

comprehensive program review, assesses

its continued relevance and progress

toward identified goals; updates

enrollment trends, labor market

information, and assessment data; and

links program review to the annual

resource allocation process (II.A.16-11).

CTE programs are required to complete

the annual update, with additional

components, which replaces the two-year

program review (II.A.16-5).

Both the comprehensive and annual

review processes incorporate assessment

of learning outcomes and student

achievement. The comprehensive six-year

program review requires programs to

establish a six-year calendar for

assessment of student learning outcomes

and to incorporate recommendations to

improve learning outcomes and student

performance in the final plan of action.

The annual update asks for reports on

assessments conducted and resulting

changes and recommendations (II.A.16-

11; II.A.16-12; II.A.16-13; II.A.16-14).

The Community Education program offers

approximately 200 sections of noncredit

classes each semester and 50 fee-based,

continuing services classes. Noncredit

courses are evaluated by a student

evaluation survey the first time the course

is offered with a new instructor and

subsequently once every three years

(II.A.16-15). In spring 2016, Community

Education completed a comprehensive

program review that included a survey of

500 students to assess their satisfaction

and needs and to better understand the

program’s student population (II.A.16-16).

Survey results show high student

satisfaction and the need for additional

vocational programs and a greater variety

of course offerings. In 2010-2011, all

noncredit course outlines were updated,

and student learning outcomes were

incorporated. The program operated solely

with part-time faculty until 2015 when the

college hired its first full-time noncredit

instructor in ESL, and as a result there

have been limited resources to review,

update, and develop new curriculum

regularly. Fee-based classes are developed

based on student demand, and these

courses are evaluated by students every

time they are offered (II.A.16-17; II.A.16-

18).

In spring 2014, the Academic Senate

created the Program Review Committee,

whose charge is to accomplish four tasks

(II.A.16-19):

1. Annually review and recommend

to Academic Senate changes to

the AHC Program Review

Resource Guide (PRG).

2. Annually review and recommend

to Academic Senate changes to

Program Review Board Policy

3255 and related Administrative

Procedures.

3. Review the Program Review

Inventory report of annual

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 203

updates and program reviews

each semester which lists each

program/discipline, a link to its

most recent program review and

annual update, and the date of its

next program review. Provide a

copy to Academic Senate.

4. Annually prepare and deliver a

report of accomplishments,

challenges, and

recommendations for

improvement to Academic

Senate at its first meeting in

May.

The committee, which began meeting in

fall 2014, reviewed and recommended

changes to the data elements provided to

academic programs. In spring 2015, the

committee recommended modifications to

the academic program review self-study

and format. In addition, the committee

reports to the Academic Senate on

programs that have not completed course

and program reviews or annual updates,

often due to a lack of full-time faculty in

single-person disciplines (II.A.16-20;

II.A.16-7; II.A.16-8).

The committee has requested that the

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

routinely provide disaggregated data on

distance learning retention and success and

a comparison to face-to-face courses for

programs that offer online courses

(II.A.16-21). In spring 2015, the

committee modified the comprehensive

academic program review self-study to

include questions that specifically address

distance learning—including retention and

success as well as regular substantive

contact and student equity outcomes.

These recommendations were approved by

the Academic Senate in spring 2015 and

implemented in 2015-2016 (II.A.16-22).

In October 2015, modifications were made

to the Student Services program review to

align it with the instructional program

review process. In Spring 2016, the

Program Review Committee began review

of recommendations to update the annual

update process and to establish program-

set standards (II.A.16-23).

Systems and processes are in place for the

effective evaluation and improvement of

instructional and service programs, but

inconsistent availability of data and faculty

in areas without a full-time instructor to

perform the reviews has occasionally

hindered these processes. To address these

issues, the institution may need to make

resources available on a regular basis to

allow associate faculty to perform the

reviews when full-time faculty are not

available. In addition, an electronic

program review template with preloaded

data and preliminary analysis noted would

enable faculty to focus on deeper analysis

and developing strategies to improve

student learning outcomes and

achievement.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 204

II.B Library and Learning Support Services

II.B.1 The institution supports student learning and achievement by providing

library and other learning support services to students and to personnel

responsible for student learning and support. These services are sufficient

in quantity, currency, depth, and variety to support educational programs,

regardless of location or means of delivery, including distance education

and correspondence education. Learning support services include, but are

not limited to, library collections, tutoring, learning centers, computer

laboratories, learning technology, and ongoing instruction for users of

library and other learning support services.

Eligibility Requirement 17. Information and Learning Support Services

The institution provides, through ownership or contractual agreement, specific

long-term access to sufficient information and learning support services

adequate for its mission and instructional programs in whatever format

whenever and wherever they are offered. (Standard II.B.1 and II.B.4).

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College supports student

learning and achievement by providing on-

campus and online library and learning

support services to basic skills, transfer,

and career technical students as well as

faculty and staff. The library and the

learning resources programs support all

college instructional programs and include

the library, Tutorial, Writing Center,

distance learning, and Multimedia

Services as well as Open Access

Computer Labs. There are additional

computer labs specific to disciplines and

community partnerships.

II.B.1-1 Library Web page

II.B.1-2 Educational Master Plan

2014-2020, pages 10-11

II.B.1-3 Library Comprehensive

Program Review 2013-2014

II.B.1-4 Academic Search Premier

Database Usage Report

II.B.1-5 AHC Technology Master

Plan 2014-2020 Goals, pages

2-25

II.B.1-6 Library Annual Statistics

Report 2014-2015

II.B.1-7 Friends of the AHC Library

Meeting Minutes

II.B.1-8 Friends of the AHC Library

event and program flyers

II.B.1-9 Distance Learning

Professional Development

Schedule

II.B.1-10 CCPD Distance Learning

Committee Description,

2015-2016 ed., page 59

II.B.1-11 AHC Technology Master

Plan 2014-2020, Goal 8, page

13

II.B.1-12 Sample agendas/notes from

Distance Learning

Committee meetings

II.B.1-13 Smarthinking Usage Reports,

through 2015

II.B.1-14 Learning Resources Program

Review 2013-2014

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 205

Analysis and Evaluation

The library and all learning resources

support the Allan Hancock College

mission to provide “quality educational

opportunities that enhance student

learning.” At AHC, the library has its own

program review. Learning resources has a

separate program review that encompasses

distance learning, the Teacher Learning

Center, Multimedia Services, the Open

Access Computer Lab, Tutorial Services,

and the Writing Center.

The Library

The Library Department mission statement

aligns with the AHC mission:

… to support all Allan Hancock

College students and staff with

both immediate research needs and

the development of information

literacy skills, to enhance lifelong

learning. In addition, the library is

the campus “center of learning,”

with a welcoming atmosphere

conducive to studying and

learning. (II.B.1-1)

Collections shared between the Santa

Maria campus (SM) and Lompoc Valley

Center (LVC) constitute the AHC library,

which provide services pertaining to

“information and technology literacy” and

“ability to acquire knowledge for life-long

learning through a variety of means” as

identified in the Educational Master Plan

(II.B.1-2). The Jacoby Learning Resources

Center at the LVC includes tutorial

services space and an open access

computer lab. The Vandenberg Air Force

Base and Solvang sites rely primarily on

online library resources and services,

materials from campus libraries are

delivered to these offsite locations upon

request and free of charge.

Materials provided to support student and

staff research, both onsite and online,

include books, magazines, journals,

newspapers, reference materials, and audio

and video materials. An assortment of

physical items such as anatomical models

and reserve textbooks are available within

the libraries. The holdings owned by the

AHC libraries in September 2014 number

90,821 physical items (II.B.1-3).

Students, staff, and faculty have access to

a full array of library and research

resources available around the clock

through the college library webpage

(II.B.1-1). Online services and resources

accessible on and off campus include the

online library catalog, which has one

searchable interface that integrates books,

electronic books, DVDs, audio books, and

streaming videos. There are electronic

reference services, phone reference, and

multiple collections of electronic books. In

addition, the library provides online

discipline-specific research guides,

Libguides, to assist students with their

research projects. Faculty librarians and

instructional faculty work together to

create Libguides based on specific

research assignments (II.B.1-1).

To serve students online and onsite better,

the library is focused on maximizing 24/7

access to research materials. For example,

the libraries subscribed to 300 print

magazine and journal titles six years ago

and now subscribe to 156 but added online

periodical databases and reference books

to meet the changing needs of students.

Assessments done in the decision-making

process included webpage analytics and

usage counts of both print and online

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 206

materials. In 2014, over 40,000 journal

articles were accessed by AHC users in

one database alone (II.B.1-4). Due to

demand for remote access, the number of

databases has grown from 15 general and

specialized databases to over 30. This

serves both on campus users and the

distance learning students and meets AHC

Technology Master Plan goals of

flexibility of support services and

contributing to digital fluency (II.B.1-5).

Students have access to 42 computer

stations in the Santa Maria campus library

and 47 stations in the LVC Jacoby

Learning Resources Center and may check

out laptops at both locations. Both

locations have accessible stations with

adaptive software. Other collections

include geology specimens and anatomical

models. Library services include wireless

access, photocopiers, DVD viewing

stations, computer stations with adaptive

software for students with disabilities, and

interlibrary loan services. Students have

access to two group-study rooms at each

campus library, one with laptop access and

a large screen. Electronic devices

available for faculty to check out of the

library include laptops, iPads, and student

response “clicker” systems.

Library and information literacy

instruction is primarily delivered through a

two-unit credit online library skills course

and library orientations for classes with

outcomes assessments detailed in the

Library Program Review. Librarians

provide over 100 class orientations per

semester and more than 190,000 library

users were counted in school year 2014-

2015 (II.B.1-6). The “How Can I?” section

on the library webpage offers links to get

help, and users can complete an online

reference question form. Additional

reference services and library instruction

are provided by faculty librarians during

all open hours and include one-on-one

assistance, telephone service, and

electronic reference; a new chat service

will launch in 2016.

The Friends of the AHC Library offers

enhanced cultural and aesthetic

programming. In the last six years, the

Friends have sponsored events including

the Maddux Children’s Book Art Exhibit,

prizes for Constitution Day contests,

"Xtreme" research competitions, lectures

with local and visiting faculty, Community

Reads programs in collaboration with local

public libraries, and various fundraisers to

support both campus and community

library events and services (II.B.1-7;

II.B.1-8).

Learning Resources

The following five services are co-

located in the Academic Resources

Center at the SM Campus and, where

applicable, the Jacoby Learning

Resources Center at LVC.

Distance Learning

A faculty specialist and two technical

support staff support the Distance

Learning (DL) program and manage

Blackboard, the current District course

management system (CMS). The CMS is

used by approximately 600 class sections

each semester, from fully online classes to

onsite classes that use features such as the

gradebook. Instructors incorporate

learning resources, such as embedded

links to online library books, articles, and

streaming media into their instruction.

Technology training for faculty and staff

are provided by the DL staff each semester

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 207

during scheduled staff development

training and by appointment (II.B.1-9).

The Distance Learning Committee is

chaired by the faculty DL specialist and

reports to the Student Learning Council

(II.B.1-10). Distance learning does not

have a separate plan but is one of the

twelve major goals in the AHC

Technology Master Plan 2014-2020:

“Enhance distance learning activities

and support for online student success”

(II.B.1-11). The DL Committee makes

recommendations on DL policies,

practices, and mandates from the state and

federal levels (II.B.1-12).

Multimedia

Multimedia staff manages instructional

support and learning technology at all

District sites in over 100 classrooms and

facilitate instruction across disciplines

with services from equipment delivery

to instructional design, primarily for

classroom support. At all centers, they

maintain classroom equipment such as

projectors and document cameras,

provide photographic and video support,

and train faculty in a wide range of

instructional technology applications for

both onsite courses and distance

learning. Staff streams live events such

as graduations.

The Teacher Learning Center (TLC) is

located on the 2nd floor of the Academic

Resource Center. Featuring state of the

art equipment, the TLC is managed

through the Multimedia Services

Department and used primarily by DL

staff and the coordinator of instructional

technology for training faculty. It is also

used for external webinars, online

meetings, and other technology-based

applications.

Open Access Labs

Open Access Computer Labs (OACL)

are located on the SM and LVC

campuses. They are multi-purpose

computer labs, accessible to all students

regardless of major. They provide

students, staff, and faculty with a wide

range of computer applications, low-cost

printing, and lab staff assistance. The

OACLs have adaptive workstations that

accommodate students with physical or

learning disabilities.

Tutorial

The Tutorial Centers at the SM and LVC

sites provide peer tutoring across the

curriculum in drop in, one-on-one, and

group modalities, with an emphasis on

math and English. Distance learning

students have access to Smarthinking, an

online tutoring service delivered by

tutors who have a bachelor’s degree or

higher (II.B.1-13). Peer onsite tutors are

trained at the start of each semester and

must be recommended by their

instructors as well as having earned a

grade of “B” or higher in the courses

they tutor.

Writing Center

The Writing Center provides resources

to support students with lab components

linked with English/ESL classes. Faculty

and staff offer one-on-one assistance to

the 700-900 students visiting weekly

with writing and reading. There are

interdisciplinary courses, ENGL 306 and

ENGL 307, to assist students with

writing across the curriculum. Online

writing assistance is provided through

the essay center feature of Smarthinking.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 208

Learning outcomes are assessed each

semester in eLumen, revised regularly,

and documented in program review

(II.B.1-14).

Additional Learning Support Services

Most of these services are not included

in the learning resources program

review, as they are primarily managed

through individual disciplines. They are

listed here to document other services

located on and off campus provided in a

variety of areas, including the Atkinson

Lifelong Learning Center, a community

partnership with the City of Santa Maria,

and the Workforce Resource Center, in

partnership with Santa Barbara County.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 209

Improvements to support student

achievement in 2016 include library

laptops for student check-out and online

chat with librarians. Tutorial services have

been hindered by staffing vacancies at

both sites since 2011-2012; still, NetTutor

is being piloted in spring 2016 alongside

Smarthinking for distance learners and

other remote users. All computers in the

Tutorial Center and Writing Center are

being updated in summer 2016. Distance

learning staff is guiding the faculty

training and transition from Blackboard to

the Canvas CMS, which will be completed

by the start of the spring 2017 semester.

The College meets the standard

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 210

II.B.2 Relying on appropriate expertise of faculty, including librarians, and other

learning support services professionals, the institution selects and maintains

educational equipment and materials to support student learning and

enhance the achievement of the mission.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Library and learning resources at Allan

Hancock College follow established board

policies and selection processes to achieve

the mission and meet the standard.

Instructional faculty expertise is

demonstrated through curriculum

development and program review, together

with faculty librarians’ professional

judgment to select equipment and

materials that achieve high student

satisfaction and support learning.

II.B.2-1 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 4040

II.B.2-2 Faculty purchase suggestion

form, library website

II.B.2-3 Curriculum proposal files,

housed in SM Campus library

reference area

II.B.2-4 Friends of the AHC Library

Libguide, library website

II.B.2-5 Library Program Review

2013-2014, page 7

II.B.2-6 Descriptions of Professional

Development Activities

II.B.2-7 Sample Agendas and Notes

from Senate Library

Advisory Committee

II.B.2-8 Library Material Discards

Donations Purchases.pdf

II.B.2-9 Student responses regarding

services, Strategic Planning

Survey 2013, (IRP)

II.B.2-10 Sample CTEA/TAC Request

for Lab Computers

II.B.2-11 Learning Resources Program

Review 2013-2014, Exhibit

E3, page 140

II.B.2-12 District Standards for

Multimedia Equipment 2016

II.B.2-13 Specification as Proprietary

Item for Construction, Board

Item 13.A, page 115,

November 10, 2015

II.B.2-14 Academic Senate Minutes,

11/3/15, Item 6 Canvas

Analysis and Evaluation

Evidence demonstrates that library and

learning support services faculty and staff,

with input from instructional faculty,

follow collection development processes

and equipment prioritization to support

student needs in accordance with the

college mission and Board Policy and

Administrative Procedure 4040 (II.B.2-1).

Library and learning resources faculty sit

on both the Academic Senate and the

curriculum committee, where they work

closely with instructional faculty.

Librarians outreach to subject-specific

faculty for guidance and expertise on

appropriate purchases in their areas, and

provide a form online for materials

requests (II.B.2-2). For example,

anatomical models were purchased in

2013-2014, and biological sciences faculty

were instrumental in selecting the best

models for student use. Library faculty

also dialogue with individual instructors,

attend department meetings to solicit

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 211

feedback, and offer staff development

workshops to promote innovative new

sources. The Academic Senate Library

Advisory Committee, which is composed

of instructional faculty as well as library

staff, reviews new electronic databases

and resources such as Films on Demand

video clips.

The Academic Policy and Planning

curriculum committee (AP&P) tracks

instructional materials that are required

and suggested for classes in course

outlines of record. Both full-time and part-

time librarians regularly review and track

curriculum proposals, identifying potential

purchases according to quality and reviews

in credible publications such as Library

Journal or the New York Times Book

Review (II.B.2-3). Recommended

purchases to support curriculum are kept

on file at the reference desk and added

periodically. The District budget has been

augmented with funding from two U.S.

Department of Education Title V grants

and California Basic Skills Initiative

funding. The library also receives

instructional equipment funding to support

the online databases. Donations are

integrated into the collection after faculty

librarians review them. The AHC libraries

have been fortunate to have the strong

support of a donor that established a

library endowment in 2013, as well as the

active Friends of the Library group that

maintains several funds to enhance areas

of the library collections (II.B.2-4).

Faculty librarians confer often with library

support staff to review circulation trends

which are monitored and documented in

library program review. Faculty librarians

also utilize program review needs and

confer with instructional technology

specialists, distance learning staff,

department faculty, and learning

assistance, also known as Disabled

Students Programs and Services, staff

when considering purchase of assistive

technology materials or equipment (II.B.2-

5). Examples during 2014 included

multimedia staff who identified big screen

monitors for student use in conference

rooms and learning assistance staff who

assisted with suggesting a particular

flatbed scanner model for student use.

Faculty librarians and learning resources

faculty and staff provide ample

professional development opportunities to

the campus community, particularly

instructional faculty. A favorite

professional development activity was

“Library Free for All,” when the campus is

invited to come in for an afternoon and try

any and all new databases and materials.

Another well received event was the “Red

Carpet Premiere” that introduced faculty

to Films on Demand streamed digital

videos in 2013 (II.B.2-6).

Academic Senate provides input to the

library through the activities of the Senate

Library Advisory Committee, known as

SLAC, which is typically composed of

three instructional faculty, faculty

librarians, and the library dean. SLAC

meets one time in the fall and spring

semesters in the SM campus library to

review and discuss topics ranging from

orientations and programs to budget and

assessment (II.B.2-7).

Library and learning resources materials

are maintained, inventoried, mended, and

discarded on a regular basis by three

paraprofessional staff and their student

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 212

workers, under the direction of the faculty

librarians and dean (II.B.2-8).

Student satisfaction with the library

services and learning resources ranked the

highest of all services on campus in the

2013 strategic planning climate survey

(II.B.2-9).

Other Learning Resources

Equipment for student labs, shown in the

Instructional Labs Table in II.B.1, is

selected with input from both faculty and

students. Faculty request equipment based

on discipline needs, such as Mac

computers for graphics or laptops for

psychology labs (II.B.2-10). Students

provide input through surveys; according

to the Open Access Computer Lab Student

Survey in 2013, 86% of students agreed or

strongly agreed that the software they

needed was available (II.B.2-11).

Multimedia equipment for classrooms is

based on an Extron standard developed

over recent years of new construction

(II.B.2-12). The goal is to move all

classrooms to this standard eventually

(II.B.2-13).

The distance learning platform is changing

to Canvas by spring 2017 as part of the

state Online Education Initiative. The

Academic Senate endorsed the change

after Canvas was demonstrated for them

by the faculty distance learning

coordinator (II.B.2-14). The college is

piloting NetTutor alongside Smarthinking

and asking for student and faculty

feedback before deciding which to offer.

To enhance student learning, the library

and learning resources have benefitted

from partnerships with instructional

faculty including the Senate Library

Advisory Committee, as well as student

input on materials and equipment

selections. In addition, funding through

state programs such as Student Equity and

the Basic Skills Initiative has provided

library books and a student laptop

checkout program launching in spring

2016 at both the Santa Maria and Lompoc

campuses. Instructional faculty through

the Academic Senate had a strong voice in

the selection of Canvas as the new

distance learning platform. Bond Measure

I technology funds have assisted in

keeping computers and software in all labs

current and adequate for student learning

needs, as well as updating many SMART

classrooms.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 213

II.B.3 The institution evaluates library and other learning support services to

assure their adequacy in meeting identified student needs. Evaluation of

these services includes evidence that they contribute to the attainment of

student learning outcomes. The institution uses the results of these

evaluations as the basis for improvement.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Faculty librarians developed and regularly

assess outcomes as part of the

comprehensive program review and

annual update process. Faculty librarians

and the faculty DL specialist assist with

assessing outcomes for the learning

resources areas coordinated by classified

staff. Faculty librarians are active

members of the academic Learning

Outcomes and Assessment Committee.

II.B.3-1 Learning Resources Program

Review 2013-2014

II.B.3-2 Library Program Review

2013-2014

II.B.3-3 Information and Technology

Literacy Evidence Team

Report

II.B.3-4 LOAC.Meeting Minutes,

2014-2015

II.B.3-5 eLumen Library Student

Assessments sample, 2014-

2015

II.B.3-6 Online Student Readiness

Tutorials

II.B.3-7 Multimedia Services Request

Forms

II.B.3-8 Institutional Research and

Planning, Campus Climate

Survey 2013

Analysis and Evaluation

The AHC library and learning support

services—the Writing Center, Tutorial,

Open Access Computer Lab, multimedia,

and distance learning—regularly evaluate

and assess services and programs. These

services completed six-year

comprehensive program reviews in 2013-

2014 with clearly identified and

measurable student learning outcomes

(SLOs) (II.B.3-1; II.B.3-2).

These SLOs, which are reviewed annually,

are discussed at meetings each semester

and are revised systematically in response

to collected data and student feedback.

Library faculty led the Information and

Technology Literacy Team in developing

institutional learning outcomes and

participate in the Learning Outcome

Committee (II.B.3-3; II.B.3-4). The

libraries and Writing Center also gather

data by conducting surveys/focus groups,

recording usage, and analysis of student

performance data with the eLumen SLOs

assessment system (II.B.3-5).

Library The faculty librarians assess both the

library skills course (LIBR 170) and

library services, both online and onsite,

according to the assessment plan in the

library program review (II.B.3-2). The

library skills course (LIBR 170) is

assessed every time the course is offered

using the eLumen system with data

gathered used to make improvements and

redesign the course. The onsite course had

low enrollments; librarians piloted an

online version in spring 2016, enrollment

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 214

increased, and the course will be assessed

at the end of the semester.

Library services are assessed during

orientations, workshops, desk interviews,

or other methods agreed to by librarians,

with findings used to guide revisions to

curriculum, services, and procedures.

Improvements made as a result of the

2013-2014 program review student focus

group responses include laptop loans,

Saturday hours, and 11 computer stations

added near the SM library reference desk

in 2014-2016 (II.B.3-2).

In fall 2014, the Office of Institutional

Effectiveness, formerly the Office of

Institutional Research and Planning,

tracked data to assess the retention and

success of 162 English 101 students who

attended a one hour library orientation

with a faculty librarian. The control group

was measured against the retention and

success of 912 English 101 students who

did not attend a library orientation. The

findings indicate students who attended a

library orientation had higher rates of

retention and success. The findings have

been shared with the English faculty and

additional assessment is planned for fall

2016.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 215

A “Research Detective” one-hour

voluntary library workshop is presented at

the Lompoc Valley Center Jacoby

Learning Resources Center by librarians.

Instructors at the LVC give students extra

credit for attendance because they believe

it is beneficial. Librarians used eLumen to

assess student learning outcomes, which

shows that a majority of students who

attend meet or exceed the standard.

Additional research was performed

measuring the 44 Research Detective

attendees’ retention against all off-campus

program students, and the results are

shown below. Revisions, such as

additional content, are added to the

workshop presentations, and further

assessments are planned.

Learning Resources

Distance Learning

The distance learning (DL) staff

adequately support more than 600 courses

each semester on the course management

system, both completely online and

supplementing face-to-face classes (II.B.3-

1). Learning outcomes assessment

included student/faculty surveys and user

analytics (II.B.3-1). Surveys and review of

analytics revealed the need to develop

online instructional modules to prepare

both students and faculty better (II.B.3-1).

The state OEI sent out helpful student

preparation modules, which were added to

the DL webpage in 2015 (II.B.3-6).

Assessment of online teaching occurs

through the negotiated faculty evaluation

process.

Multimedia

Multimedia Services provides support in

instructional equipment design, set up,

maintenance, and training at all campus

sites and more than 100 classrooms in a

wide range of services including smart

podiums, audio and video equipment,

photography, and wireless mobile devices

(II.B.3-7). Multimedia staff assess

installations of new equipment, track

requests for services, assess training

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 216

sessions, and review survey results from

faculty, staff, and students. Results of

evaluations demonstrate that equipment

and support are adequate to facilitate

student learning (II.B.3-1). Assessment

led to resource requests which include

online training modules for faculty,

installation of smart podiums in all

classrooms, hiring of additional staff, and

providing current technology to students

and faculty (II.B.3-1).

Open Access Computer Labs

The Open Access Computer Labs

(OACLs) are open to any student in any

discipline on both campuses. Many other

subject-specific labs are available for

students in programs, such as STEM,

graphics, math, business, and writing. The

first Program Review for the OACLs was

in 2013-2014, which documents that over

13,000 students use the OACLs at both

campus locations annually (II.B.3-1).

Learning outcomes are established and

assessed regularly and consist of surveys

of students and faculty (II.B.3-1).

Assessment findings indicate resource

needs, such as future staff training,

purchases of updated software, and

streamlined printing technology (II.B.3-1).

Tutorial

Tutorial Services adequately meets student

needs in providing tutoring across

disciplines for over 6,000 hours per school

year at the Santa Maria and Lompoc sites

(II.B.3-1). Online and onsite students are

served with Smarthinking, a third-party

online tutoring service. The “Drop In”

model has been used onsite since 2012, in

addition to individual one-on-one hourly

tutoring appointments (II.B.3-1). Drop In

tutoring in high-demand subjects, such as

math, is available without appointment

and has been especially popular at the SM

campus in the evening. The Tutorial

Center has established student learning

outcomes and assesses students annually

with surveys and tutor evaluations, which

were overwhelmingly (100%) positive

with statements such as “prompt and

reliable for keeping appointments.” In

2013, 78% of 113 students surveyed who

received tutoring reported that their grades

went up (II.B.3-1).

Writing Center

The Writing Center provides reading and

writing assistance for 700-900 students

weekly (II.B.3-1). Evidence of importance

and satisfaction with the Writing Center

for faculty and student users can be found

with high rankings in the 2013 Climate

Survey of Students (II.B.3-8). The Writing

Center has learning outcomes that are

documented and assessed in fall and

spring semesters with all developmental

English and ESL classes by means of

faculty/student surveys and GPA

comparisons (II.B.3-1). Assessment

findings resulted in plans to develop

strategies to reduce the wait time to serve

students (II.B.3-1).

In all library and learning resources areas,

improvements have primarily occurred

due to bond and various grant and

categorical funds. Some areas, including

the library, have been able to use multiple

measures of satisfaction and outcomes.

The Tutorial Center has had staff

vacancies at both campuses, and the

Writing Center still has wait time due to

heavy student demand. Progress on

updating all classrooms to Extron-based

Smart classrooms has continued steadily,

lab computers continue to be updated, and

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 217

improvements based on evaluation are

ongoing.

While there is evidence that the College

integrates program review, planning, and

resource allocation, improvements can be

made in the clarity of the processes in

order to demonstrate that they lead to

institutional effectiveness. The College

will draft a Quality Focus Essay in order

to improve the linkage between integrated

evaluation, planning, and resource

allocation to improve student learning and

achievement.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 218

II.B.4 When the institution relies on or collaborates with other institutions or

other sources for library and other learning support services for its

instructional programs, it documents that formal agreements exist and that

such resources and services are adequate for the institution’s intended

purposes, are easily accessible and utilized. The institution takes

responsibility for and assures the security, maintenance, and reliability of

services provided either directly or through contractual arrangement. The

institution regularly evaluates these services to ensure their effectiveness.

Eligibility Requirement 17: Information and Learning Support Services

The institution provides, through ownership or contractual agreement, specific

long-term access to sufficient information and learning support services

adequate for its mission and instructional programs in whatever format and

wherever they are offered. (II.B.1 and II.B.4)

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

AHC libraries and learning resources

maintain contractual agreements as

described below to provide resources and

services that are adequate, accessible, and

utilized by students. Staff members in the

library, learning resources, IT Services,

and District police collaborate to assure

the security and reliability of all services.

Services are assessed regularly, often

annually, and improvements made as

needed.

II.B.4-1 Council of Chief Librarians,

California Community

Colleges. (CCLCCC) Library

profile

II.B.4-2 Community College League

Consortium

II.B.4-3 AHC Library Website

Articles and More Databases

(available off and on campus)

II.B.4-4 AHC Library Interlibrary

Loans Form

II.B.4-5 Cal Poly Interlibrary Loans

page, August 26, 2014

II.B.4-6 Smarthinking Contracts, filed

in dean of library/learning

resources office

II.B.4-7 Blackboard hosting/licensing

contracts, filed in dean of

library/learning resources

office

II.B.4-8 Academic Senate agenda and

notes November 3, 2015,

action item number 6

II.B.4-9 AHC Technology Master

Plan 2014-2020, Goal 2, page

4

II.B.4-10 Sample IT Services Work

Order

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 219

Analysis and Evaluation

Collaboration/Contracts

An AHC library profile is available at the

Council of Chief Librarians California

Community Colleges website (II.B.4-1).

For online resources, librarians evaluate

the Community College Library

Consortium (CCLC) databases available

through the Council each fall and spring.

Library website criteria includes

accessibility, usage statistics, faculty and

student input, product comparisons and

reviews, scope, currency, authority, and

other factors. Purchasing electronic

resources through the CCLC consortium is

a cost-effective way to provide electronic

database access to onsite and remote

students (II.B.4-2; II.B.4-3).

The Santa Maria and Lompoc campus

libraries regularly exchange materials per

student and faculty requests via a daily,

week day, AHC courier service.

Documentation of this exchange is

maintained in the Library ILS system,

Polaris. There is no fee to users for this

service. The only four year college that the

AHC libraries regularly request

interlibrary loan materials from is

California Polytechnic State University in

San Luis Obispo, which lists interlibrary

loan policies for the Kennedy Library on

its webpages. Interlibrary loan from other

libraries is minimal, but the process is well

documented and efficient (II.B.4-4; II.B.4-

5).

Blackboard is Allan Hancock College’s

course management platform, hosted

securely in Reston, Virginia. Blackboard

contracts are negotiated and renewed

either annually or for multiple years and

kept in the dean of learning resources’

office (II.B.4-7).

The Distance Learning Committee and

distance learning staff periodically assess

Blackboard in comparison to Moodle or

other products. The academic resources

technical specialist piloted Moodle as a

test but felt any cost savings would be

offset by the programming needs. Factors

in favor of Blackboard included excellent

reliability, security, and ADA

accessibility; also popular building blocks;

and compatibility with publisher content.

In fall 2015, the Academic Senate and

Distance Learning Committee investigated

Canvas in conjunction with the statewide

Online Education Initiative (OEI) and

recommended moving to Canvas (II.B.4-

8). The planned conversion to Canvas will

be final by spring 2017.

Smarthinking is the vendor for 24/7

asynchronous online tutoring services for

AHC students, with a NetTutor pilot

occurring in 2016. English students are the

primary users, particularly the essay center

where drafts of papers are submitted for

guidance from online tutors who possess

bachelor’s degrees or higher. The

contracts for this service are housed in the

dean of learning resources’ office (II.B.4-

6). Smarthinking provides AHC with

monthly usage statistics and periodic

student survey comments.

Faculty and staff have carefully weighed

NetTutor and other online tutoring options

against Smarthinking, including pricing.

Prior to the OEI, there was no momentum

in moving to other services, as satisfaction

with Smarthinking from both faculty and

students has been high. However,

NetTutor is being revisited in the 2015-

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 220

2016 academic year with possible cost

savings from the OEI consortium pricing

as the main motivation.

The Open Access Computer Lab and

Writing Center are co-located in the

Academic Resources Center (ARC) on the

SM campus and in the Jacoby Learning

Resources Center at the LVC. There are

no third-party services or agreements, and

students visit these areas onsite to use

computers and obtain assistance with

writing. Multimedia services (MMS)

provide audiovisual support for

classrooms and events and are also located

in the ARC; no third-party vendors are

used.

Accessibility

Library and learning resources buildings

are accessible to all students with

automatic door openers, wheelchair

accessible restrooms, and computer

stations with adaptive software for those

with low-vision or the hearing-impaired. A

public videophone is available for deaf

students. The library web page is

accessible to low-vision or deaf students

and reviewed by college’s web content

manager.

Blackboard operates 24/7 and is ADA

compliant. The faculty DL specialist goes

over ADA compliance when training

online faculty. The academic resources

technical specialist will notify the

alternative media specialist in the Learning

Assistance Department if a Blackboard

course needs assistance in becoming fully

accessible.

The Open Access Computer Labs, Writing

Center, and tutoring services all have

accessible doors, computer stations, and

restrooms.

Security and Maintenance

Library and learning support services are

offered onsite weekdays, evenings, and

Saturdays. District police and security

officers patrol regularly, and both the

library and learning support counters have

“panic buttons” that connect them to the

District alarm company. Physical library

facilities have an alarm system managed

by District police. In addition, standard

physical security measures such as cables

and locks for all computers and a library

3M security gate are in place.

The Information Technology Services

Department handles all physical and

virtual security for library and learning

support computer equipment, including

locking laptop and tablet carts, anti-virus

software and spam filters, and Deep

Freeze system restore software. Goal two

of the AHC Technology Plan outlines all

the measures taken to provide reliable and

secure resources (II.B.4-9).

Library and learning resources staff,

District police, and Information

Technology Services (ITS) staff work

together to ensure the physical and virtual

security of all physical sites, onsite

equipment and materials, and virtual

resources. As a result, there have been no

reports of major thefts, computer

problems, or vandalism in the library and

learning resources areas for the past 10

years.

Blackboard is securely hosted offsite in

Reston, Virginia. The academic resources

technical specialist maintains and supports

the software upgrades for Blackboard, the

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 221

library online catalog, and the tutorial

appointment system. ITS staff maintains

and supports all the other software, as well

as student and staff computers and printers

in the library and Academic Resources

Center. Problems are reported to ITS

through the online work order system

accessed through the myHancock portal

(II.B.4-10). In general, reliability has been

very good, and replacement/upgrades have

been routine when physical equipment

becomes worn out or software versions

change.

The College meets the standard. Existing

resources and services are adequate,

accessible, and well-utilized. The move to

the Canvas CMS is the major contractual

change anticipated in the coming year.

There may also be a transition to NetTutor

for online tutoring support. NetTutor is

being piloted in spring 2016, and if faculty

and students like it as well as

Smarthinking, the college will make the

change. Both of these changes would be

the result of the state-wide Online

Education Initiative move to these

vendors.

While there is evidence that the College

integrates program review, planning, and

resource allocation, improvements can be

made in the clarity of the processes in

order to demonstrate that they lead to

institutional effectiveness. The College

will draft a Quality Focus Essay in order

to improve the linkage between integrated

evaluation, planning and resource

allocation to improve student learning and

achievement.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 222

II.C Student Support Services

II.C.1 The institution regularly evaluates the quality of support services and

demonstrates that these services, regardless of location or means of

delivery, including distance education and correspondence education,

support student learning, and enhance accomplishment of the mission of

the institution.

Eligibility Requirement 15 The institution provides for all of its students appropriate student support

services that foster student learning and development within the context of the

institutional mission.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

II.C.1-1 Allan Hancock College

Catalog-Mission and Vision

Statements, page 8

II.C.1-2 Educational Master Plan,

pages 11, 35, 37, 43, 46-47

II.C.1-3 Councils and Committees

Pathways to Decisions

(CCPD), page 30

II.C.1-4 AHC Student Services

Department Websites:

Admissions and Records

Cal-SOAP

CalWORKS

Cooperative Agencies

Resources for Education

(CARE)

Cooperating Agencies

Foster Youth

Educational Support

(CAFYES)

Career/Job Placement

Center

Counseling

Extended Opportunity

Programs and Services

(EOPS)

Financial Aid/Veterans

and Scholarships

Learning Assistance

Program (Disability

Services)

Non-Credit Counseling

Student Health Services

Student Activities

(ASBG)

Testing Center

College Achievement

Now (CAN)/TRiO

University Transfer

Center

Veteran Success Center

II.C.1-5 Counseling Online Services

II.C.1-6 Student Services Program

Review Matrix

II.C.1-7 EOPS Student Services

Learning Outcomes and

Institutional Learning

Outcomes

II.C.1-8 Meeting Notes Admissions &

Records and Student Services

Council

II.C.1-9 MIS Annual Reports for

EOPS and Financial Aid and

Annual District Audit Report

II.C.1-10 Basic Skills Initiative

Outcomes Reports

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 223

II.C.1-11 Academic Policy and

Planning Committee Course

Approvals

II.C.1-12 2015-2016 Student Success

and Support Program Plan

II.C.1-13 2015-2018 Student Equity

Plan

II.C.1-14 Student Services Council and

College Council Meeting

Notes

II.C.1-15 Leadership and Student

Activities Program Review

II.C.1-16 Academic Senate Notes and

Planning Retreat Agenda

II.C.1-17 Campus Maps

II.C.1-18 SARS Grid and Banner

Native

II.C.1-19 SARS Data Sample

II.C.1-20 Student Success Summit

Agendas

II.C.1-21 Basic Skills Summit Agenda

and Report

II.C.1-22 Adult Education Summit

II.C.1-23 Counseling Department

Meeting Notes

Analysis and Evaluation

The college’s commitment to excellence in

student services is embodied in its mission

and vision statements which recognize that

student services are central to student

learning and to the college fulfilling its

mission (II.C.1-1). The role of student

services in student learning is further

reflected in the Educational Master Plan

and is made operational through the

development of strategic directions and

through a structure of councils and

committees that integrates instruction and

student services at all levels of

institutional planning and governance

(II.C.1-2; II.C.1-3). Multiple processes,

including systematic program review and

student learning outcome (SLO)

assessment, are used to assess the

effectiveness of student services in

supporting student learning and to inform

planning at the department, division, and

institutional levels.

Allan Hancock College student support

services play an essential role in student

learning at every stage – from outreach,

assessment, orientation, advising,

registration, and financial aid to a full

range of programs and services that

support academic success and personal

growth. Student services advance

institutional learning outcomes most

directly in the areas of cultural

competence and personal responsibility

and development (II.C.1-4).

Access to student services is available at

all District locations. As the college

expanded its distance learning course

offerings, student services ensured student

access to essential services in the distance

mode. All student service departments

provide remote access to comprehensive

program information, including a detailed

description of services, location, hours and

contact information, and if applicable,

online forms (II.C.1-5). For example, in

areas such as Admissions and Records,

Counseling, Financial Aid, EOPS, and the

Learning Assistance Program (LAP),

students can access essential services

online. In addition to face-to-face and web

access, all student service departments

provide student access via email, phone,

and fax. The expansion of online services

has not only proven to be an essential

support system for students enrolled in

online courses, it has also resulted in

greater accessibility for all students

regardless of mode of instruction. During

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 224

the fall of 2015, Admissions and Records

augmented face-to-face services by

responding to 624 help desk emails.

Distance services are examined in greater

detail in standard II.C.3.

AHC student service programs are

systematically evaluated through program

review, which occurs on a six-year cycle

with annual updates (II.C.1-6). Each

program also assesses student learning

outcomes (SLOs), and SLOs are mapped

to program and institutional learning

outcomes (II.C.1-7). Student services

initiated SLO assessment in 2005; the

learning outcomes cycle is now well

established and functions at the level of

continuous sustainable quality

improvement. Student services also use

regular department meetings, department

retreats, and the Student Services Council

for ongoing evaluation and planning

(II.C.1-8).

In addition to AHC practices, programs

such as Financial Aid,

EOPS/CARE/CalWORKS, and Learning

Assistance are annually evaluated by the

Chancellor’s Office to ensure program

effectiveness (II.C.1-9). Through the use

of MIS data, departments are able to track

student contacts and the specific services

provided. This affords an additional

resource in the assessment of program

efficacy. Several departments also

participate in grant projects which require

additional evaluation of specific program

initiatives. For example, EOPS,

Counseling, and the Learning Assistance

Program participate in Basic Skills

Initiative projects that require evidence of

outcomes that positively impact student

learning (II.C.1-10). Credit courses are

offered through the Counseling

Department, Learning Assistance

Program, and Leadership and Student

Activities. These courses are approved

through the college’s curriculum

committee (AP&P) and assessed for

effectiveness through academic program

review and SLO course assessment

(II.C.1-11; II.C.1-12).

These well-established processes of

evaluation and planning are enhanced by

the District’s Student Success and Support

Plan (SSSP) (II.C.1-13). Since 2014, the

plan has provided an additional

opportunity for comprehensive assessment

of counseling services, as well as

resources to address identified needs. The

development of the SSSP plan coincided

with the scheduled update of the District’s

Student Equity Plan (II.C.1-14). These

combined efforts have provided data that

inform evaluation and planning in all areas

of the college.

Both the SSSP plan and the Student

Equity Plan were vetted through the

councils and committees structure as

outlined in the CCPD (II.C.1-15). In

addition, the Academic Senate and the

Associated Student Body Government

(ASBG) participated in the development

of these plans, and campus-wide feedback

was collected at the college’s annual

planning retreat (II.C.1-16). This broad

consultation assures that SSSP

recommendations align with the AHC

mission and goals. The SSSP and Student

Equity committees use these plans to

inform prioritization and recommendations

for hiring. As a result of the prioritization

process, a transcript evaluator was hired,

and additional assignment days for full-

time counselors were funded to meet SSSP

and Student Equity outcomes.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 225

The opening of the new Student Services

building in 2013 is an example of the

District’s use of evaluation and long range

planning to enhance the effectiveness of

student services in achieving the college

mission. The facility has a positive impact

on the capacity of student services

personnel to support student learning

effectively. The opportunity for students to

access a wide-range of support services in

one place has improved student service

effectiveness and improved the ease of

access. The benefit to students who

formerly sought services that were located

throughout the campus, often in temporary

facilities, is evident every day (II.C.1-17).

The rooms in the building have been

central in facilitating various workshops,

orientations, and trainings. Being housed

together in one facility has also

strengthened connections across programs.

The integration of services is further

supported by the District’s Banner student

system and the adoption of SARS GRID, a

student appointment and reporting system

(II.C.1-18). The capacity to share student

data and service history across

departments instantly, regardless of

location or modality, facilitates a far more

informed and effective approach to student

support. SARS web-based service,

eSARS, allows students to make

appointments and ask brief questions

online. The data derived from these

systems are used to inform program

review and planning at the departmental,

division, and institutional level (II.C.1-19).

The ability of student service programs to

ensure quality support for student learning

is enhanced by collaboration with

instructional faculty. Student services

faculty and staff regularly participate in

campus-wide efforts focused on evaluating

student learning, such as the Student

Success Summit, the Basic Skills Summit,

and the Adult Education Summit (II.C.1-

20; II.C.1-21; II.C.1-22).

Collaboration also occurs through

classroom presentations, attendance at

academic department meetings, joint

participation on college committees, and

individual instructor engagement with

specific services. For example, counselors

collaborate with instructional faculty

through their formal role as liaisons to

AHC academic departments while

instructional faculty attend Counseling

Department meetings to share program

information and explore new opportunities

for collaboration (II.C.1-23). The

Counseling Department also holds a

monthly meeting with Admissions and

Records to strengthen communication and

effectiveness of student services. In

addition to the many formal processes that

facilitate the role of student services in

support of student learning, AHC has a

culture of mutual respect and informal

collaboration. This facilitates ongoing

cross-discipline dialogue and cooperation

which fosters continuous improvement in

student services.

The District’s capacity to assure quality

student support services and effectiveness

in supporting student learning is sustained

through systematic evaluation and

integrated planning, investment in staff

development, facilities and technology,

effective communication, and shared

commitment to the college mission.

The College meets the standard. While

there is evidence that the college regularly

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 226

evaluates the quality of student services to

improve support of student learning, with

the growth in distance learning and the

emergence of new technologies, there are

opportunities for improvement in evening

and online services. The College will draft

a Quality Focus Essay in order to

strengthen the linkage between integrated

evaluation, planning, and resource

allocation to improve student learning and

achievement. In order to support

continuous improvement in student

support services, the college will evaluate

the effectiveness of evening and online

services and implement appropriate

changes to enhance access to support

services for those populations (II.C.1-20).

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 227

II.C.2 The institution identifies and assesses learning support outcomes for its

student population and provides appropriate student support services and

programs to achieve those outcomes. The institution uses assessment data

to continuously improve student support programs and services.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College identifies and

assesses learning support outcomes for its

student population and uses assessment

data for program planning and

improvement.

II.C.2-1 Program Review Matrix

II.C.2-2 Student Learning

Outcomes- Student

Services

II.C.2-3 MIS Annual Reports

II.C.2-4 Annual Update Health

Services

II.C.2-5 2015-2018 Student Equity

Plan Executive Summary

II.C.2-6 College Catalog Student

Services

II.C.2-7 Student Services Website

II.C.2-8 New Student Online

Orientation

II.C.2-9 Campus Events Calendar

2015-2016

II.C.2-10 Personal Development

Course Outline

II.C.2-11 Student Services SLO

Matrix

II.C.2-12 Spanish Online Orientation

II.C.2-13 Council and Committee

Structure (CCPD)

II.C.2-14 Student Services Council

and Learning Outcomes

&Assessment (CCPD)

II.C.2-15 Student Services Council

Notes

II.C.2-16 Bridges to Success Program

Agenda Lompoc Valley

Center

II.C.2-17 Bridges to Success Program

Meeting Notes

Analysis and Evaluation

The primary method of student support

service outcomes assessment and

continuous program improvement is

systematic program review. In addition to

comprehensive program review and

annual updates, state mandated reporting,

and ongoing planning at the department

and division level, student learning

outcomes (SLOs) assessment is a critical

component in sustaining the high quality

of student support services (II.C.2-1;

II.C.2-2; II.C.2-3). SLO identification and

assessment have been integrated into

program review, both for the

comprehensive program reviews on a six-

year cycle and for annual updates (II.C.2-

4). Program improvements are instituted

as part of the cycle of assessment and

planning to improve student services

effectiveness.

AHC provides a broad range of student

services and programs in support of

student access and achievement of

learning support outcomes. Program

improvements are instituted based on

program assessment data and input from

stakeholders. For example, the recently

updated Student Equity Plan has resulted

in the implementation of programs to

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 228

address the needs of Veterans, foster

youth, and first generation college students

(II.C.2-5). Detailed information on all

student programs and services is available

to students and the public through the

college catalog, which is available in print

and online, as well as hyperlinks on the

Student Services website (II.C.2-6; II.C.2-

7). Students are also informed of college

services through student orientation,

campus events, and Personal Development

course curriculum (II.C.2-8; II.C.2-9;

II.C.2-10).

The college was an early adopter of

Student Services SLOs, and all student

support services have completed multiple

student learning outcomes assessment

cycles (II.C.2-11). Assessments are based

on analysis of both quantitative and

qualitative data, and program

improvements are implemented in order to

achieve program goals and support student

success. For example, in response to the

District’s growing Latino student

population, the college will launch a

Spanish language version of the online

student orientation in fall 2016 (II.C.2-12)

Student learning outcomes are integrated

into the District’s planning processes

(II.C.2-13; II.C.2-14). This begins with

departmental SLO representatives who

serve on the Student Services Learning

Outcomes and Assessment Committee.

This committee reports and makes

recommendations to the Student Services

Council, which has an ex-officio role on

the College Council (II.C.2-15). College

Council reviews input from Student

Services Council and makes

recommendations to the

superintendent/president and Board of

Trustees. These processes inform planning

at the department, division, and

institutional level. For example, in

response to data reviewed by the

Counseling Department, the District hired

two full-time counselors in 2014 devoted

to university transfer and career/job

placement. The college also established a

Bridges to Success program which

includes comprehensive counseling

collaboration between AHC and the local

feeder high schools. This program

provides a valuable platform for

implementation of the District’s student

success initiatives (II.C.2-16; II.C.2-17).

The District uses eLumen software to

house SLO outcomes and assessment data.

The chart below summarizes student

services SLO progress since 2005:

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 229

The College meets the standard. While

there is evidence that the college regularly

uses assessment data to improve student

support and learning, with the growth in

distance learning and the emergence of

new technologies, there are opportunities

for improvement in assessment of distance

and online services. The College will

draft a Quality Focus Essay in order to

strengthen the linkage between integrated

evaluation, planning, and resource

allocation to improve student learning and

achievement. In order to support

continuous improvement in student

support services, the college will

assess the effectiveness of evening

and online services and implement

appropriate changes to enhance

student access to support programs

and

improve orientation and admission

services for Spanish speaking

students.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 230

II.C.3 The institution assures equitable access to all of its students by providing

appropriate, comprehensive and reliable services to students regardless of

service location or delivery method.

Eligibility Requirement 15.

The institution provides for all of its students appropriate student support

services that foster student learning and development within the context of the

institutional mission.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College provides equitable

and reliable student access to a full range

of student services regardless of location

or mode of delivery (II.C.3-1). All student

services are consistent with the college

mission which assures the provision of

“opportunities that enhance student

learning.”

II.C.3-1 Board Policy 5100, Student

Services

II.C.3-2 Board Policy and

Administrative Procedure

5300 Student Equity

II.C.3-3 Student Services Program

Review

II.C.3-4 Student Services Program

Review Financial Aid

II.C.3-5 Student Services SLO

Assessment Matrix

II.C.3-6 Financial Aid Retreat and

EOPS/Care/CalWorks

Retreat Notes

II.C.3-7 Councils and Committees

Pathways to Decisions

(CCPD)

II.C.3-8 College Council (CCPD)

Description

II.C.3-9 Student Success Summit

Agenda

II.C.3-10 Basic Skills Committee

Agenda and Notes

II.C.3-11 Student Equity Plan 2015-

2018

II.C.3-12 Student Success and Support

Program (3SP) Plan

II.C.3-13 Student Services Website

II.C.3-14 Student Online Orientation

II.C.3-15 Degree Works Audit

II.C.3-16 Student Wellness Magazine

II.C.3-17 Career/Job Placement Center

Job Postings

II.C.3-18 Financial Aid TV

II.C.3-19 Sample Facebook, YouTube,

and Instagram Pages

II.C.3-20 “Ask Spike”

II.C.3-21 Online Orientation Report

II.C.3-22 SARS Report

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 231

Analysis and Evaluation

The District engages in systematic

assessment focused on the quality and

accessibility of student services (II.C.3-1;

II.C.3-2). This analysis occurs at all levels

of the college community and uses

multiple sources of data. The quality,

reliability, and accessibility of all Allan

Hancock College student services are

closely examined through comprehensive

program review and annual updates, as

well as annual cycles of student learning

outcomes assessment (II.C.3-3; II.C.3-4;

II.C.3-5). Examination of program access

and effectiveness is also addressed at

departmental and division meetings and

retreats (II.C.3-6). The District’s councils

and committee structure provides a

broader platform for this dialogue. Under

this structure, student access is examined

as a component in the six student services

standing committees: Enrollment

Management, Learning Outcomes and

Assessment, Outreach Advisory, Campus

Assessment Support Team (CAST),

Calendar, Student Success & Support

Program, and Student Equity (II.C.3-7).

Each of these committees has a

representative on the Student Services

Council, which in turn is represented on

the College Council (II.C.3-8). Student

Services access and effectiveness is also

examined through college-wide initiatives,

such as the Student Success Summit, Basic

Skills Initiative, Student Equity Plan, and

Student Success and Support Plan (II.C.3-

9; II.C.3-10; II.C.3-11; II.C.3-12). All

student services planning is linked to

program mission and institutional goals.

The Santa Maria campus is the District’s

primary location and the hub for all

student services. As of 2013, student

services at this campus are housed in a

convenient student services building that

facilitates access and continuity of

services. Students attending classes at the

Lompoc Valley Center have access to all

core services, including assessment,

admissions, registration, counseling,

financial aid, and bookstore operations. To

assure equitable and reliable student

access, the Vandenberg and Solvang sites

are staffed with student services personnel

who provide basic services and coordinate

with the appropriate service on the Santa

Maria campus as needed. The Lompoc

Valley Center team is cross-trained to

disseminate program information and

provide referrals and assist in delivery of

services for programs, such as EOPS and

Learning Assistance. Admissions and

Records, Counseling (credit and

noncredit), Financial Aid, and EOPS are

among the services available to students in

Spanish and English.

All Santa Maria Campus student services

are available Monday through Thursday

from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday

from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Counseling,

Admissions and Records, and Financial

Aid are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

on Tuesdays. The Testing Center serves

students from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. to

meet high student demand at the beginning

of each semester. In addition to these

standard hours of operation, all student

services on the Santa Maria campus are

open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during

the first week of instruction.

Counseling, University Transfer Center,

Job/Career Placement, EOPS, Financial

Aid, Learning Assistance, and Health

Services have designated staff serving the

Lompoc Campus. Counseling, University

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 232

Transfer, and Job/Career Placement staff

are available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; 8:00

a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday; and 8:00

a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Financial Aid

staff are available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30

p.m. Monday through Thursday. The

Learning Assistance Program services are

offered Monday through Thursday from

8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00

a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Health Services staff are

available on the Lompoc campus on

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. As a result of input

from workshops in the development of the

Student Equity Plan, concerns regarding

services for students with disabilities were

discussed by faculty and staff and are

currently being addressed. Discussions

regarding the expansion of evening

services for Health Services and the

Learning Assistance Program took place

during the spring 2016.

A continuing focus on expansion of online

services supports greater access for all

Allan Hancock College students,

regardless of location, and mirrors the

growth in online courses. These services

include “one click” online access to

comprehensive information for all student

services (II.C.3-13). Access to core

services such as application for admission,

student orientation, course registration,

financial aid applications, and student

degree audits are available online (II.C.3-

14; II.C.3-15).

In addition to these core services, many

departments offer additional services

online. For example, Health Services posts

a monthly student wellness magazine; Job

Placement offers an online interest

inventory, career and job search programs,

and job orientation tools; and Financial

Aid provides comprehensive information

through Financial Aid TV as well as

personalized student application updates

through the student portal (II.C.3-16;

II.C.3-17; II.C.3-18). Student support in

all service areas is also accessible via

email, phone, or fax. In addition to student

service web sites and other distance

modalities, the college employs social

media, such as Facebook, YouTube, and

Instagram, to support equitable access to

student service information (II.C.3-19). As

a result of the District’s accreditation self-

evaluation process the college recently

launched “Ask Spike”, a web site that

enables students to find answers to their

questions about campus programs and

events (II.C.3-20).

The table below shows student access to

services face-to-face and online (II.C.3-21;

II.C.3-22):

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 233

While information about Student Services

is available online, there is interest in

developing more innovative interactive

delivery of support services, such as chat,

and mobile technologies to expand access

and increase effectiveness.

The College meets the standard. While

there is evidence that the college regularly

evaluates the quality of student services to

improve support of student learning, with

the growth in distance learning and the

emergence of new technologies, there are

opportunities for improvement in evening

and online services. The college will draft

a Quality Focus Essay in order to

strengthen the linkage between integrated

evaluation, planning, and resource

allocation to improve student learning and

achievement. In order to support

continuous improvement in student

support services, the college will evaluate

the effectiveness of evening and online

services and implement appropriate

changes to enhance access to support

services for those populations.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 234

II.C.4 Co-curricular programs and athletic programs are suited to the

institution’s mission and contribute to the social and cultural dimensions of

the educational experience of students. If the institution offers co-

curricular or athletic programs, they are conducted with sound educational

policy and standards of integrity. The institution has responsibility for the

control of these programs, including their finances.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College co-curricular and

athletic programs provide an environment

that nurtures social responsibility and

cultural appreciation.

II.C.4-1 AHC Mission Statement

II.C.4-2 Institutional Learning

Outcomes

II.C.4-3 Board Policy 5700, Athletics

II.C.4-4 CCC Athletic Directors

Association Code of

Professional Conduct &

Ethics

II.C.4-5 ASBG Positions and

Elections Packet

II.C.4-6 District Audit

II.C.4-7 FCMAT Report

II.C.4-8 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 5400, Associate

Students Organizations and

ASBG Events Calendar

II.C.4-9 Bow-WOW Agenda Spring

2015

II.C.4-10 Bow-WOW Student

Participation

II.C.4-11 Leadership 111 and 112

Course Outlines

II.C.4-12 ASBG Program Review

II.C.4-13 ASBG Student Learning

Outcomes

II.C.4-14 Bow-WOW Student

Participation Data

II.C.4-15 California Community

College ASBG Regulations

II.C.4-16 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 2015, Student

Member

II.C.4-17 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 2105, Election of

Student Member

II.C.4-18 Club Charter Packet &

Sample Application

II.C.4-19 AHC Student Club List

II.C.4-20 Board Policy 5420,

Associated Student Finance

II.C.4-21 Student Expenditure and

Funding Approval Forms

II.C.4-22 ASBG Council Meeting

Minutes

II.C.4-23 Strategic Plan Six Factors for

Student Success

II.C.4-24 Student Athlete Orientation

II.C.4-25 College Catalog, Student

Athlete Retention, page 20

II.C.4-26 Student Athlete Retention

and Success Plan

II.C.4-27 Student Athlete Student

Education Plan

II.C.4-28 Spectrum Schedule of

Classes

II.C.4-29 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 6700, Community

Use of Facilities

II.C.4-30 Schedule of Youth Baseball

Camp

II.C.4-31 Schedule of Youth Basketball

Camps

II.C.4-32 Joe White Memorial Dinner

and Auction Program and

Participation Data

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 235

II.C.4-33 Kinesiology, Recreation, &

Intercollegiate Athletics

Program Review

II.C.4-34 College Catalog, Eligibility

and Equity, page 30

II.C.4-35 Athletics Department

Website

II.C.4-36 California Community

College Athletic Association

(CCCAA) Regulations

II.C.4-37 Western State Conference

(WSC) Regulations

II.C.4-38 Southern California Football

Conference (SFCA)

Regulations

II.C.4-39 Form R1 - Statement of

compliance

II.C.4-40 Form R2 - Statement of in-

service training

II.C.4-41 Form R4 - Statement of

compliance Title IX Gender

Equity

II.C.4-42 Form X - Appointment of

voting delegate to the

CCCAA convention

II.C.4-43 Equity in Athletics

Disclosure Act Report

II.C.4-44 Board Policy 5700, Athletics

II.C.4-45 Western State Conference

(WSC) Program Review

II.C.4-46 District Organizational Chart

II.C.4-47 Board Policy 6400, Audits

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College’s co-curricular and

athletic programs reflect the values

embodied in the college mission statement

which commits to the provision of

“educational opportunities that enhance

student learning and the creative,

intellectual, cultural, and economic vitality

of our diverse community” (II.C.4-1). The

commitment to this mission is reflected in

the District’s institutional learning

outcomes, which include cultural

awareness and global competence (II.C.4-

2). The District’s co-curricular and athletic

programs exemplify these values and

adhere to high standards of educational

integrity (II.C.4-3; II.C.4-4). Athletic

programs are available to men in baseball,

basketball, football, golf, soccer, and track

and field. Women have the opportunity to

compete in softball, basketball, soccer,

swimming, volleyball, track and field, and

water polo. All students have the

opportunity to participate in co-curricular

programs by joining campus clubs,

enrolling in Leadership courses, and by

running for an ASBG Board of Directors

elected position (II.C.4-5). All co-

curricular and athletic expenditures are

managed in compliance with board

approved procedures and follow Fiscal

Crisis Management Assistance Team

(FCMAT) guidelines (II.C.4-6; II.C.4-7).

Co-Curricular Programs The Associated Student Body Government

(ASBG) is the center of co-curricular

activities at Allan Hancock College and

participates in college governance through

the District’s councils and committees

structure. ASBG sponsors over sixty

events throughout the academic year

designed to contribute to student’s social

and cultural education and to the vibrancy

of student life (II.C.4-7; II.C.4-8).

Students have access to a wide variety of

co-curricular experiences ranging from

Diversity Day, Voter Registration Drive,

and Earth Day to Alcohol Awareness

Mocktails and “Hancock’s Got Talent”.

However, the cornerstone of campus

events is Bulldog Week of Welcome

(Bow-WOW), a campus-wide event that

kicks off a week of welcome experiences

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 236

at the beginning of the fall and spring

semesters (II.C.4-9). Bow-WOW provides

an opportunity to enrich student awareness

of campus and community programs and

services while supporting student

engagement with the college community.

Dozens of campus and community groups

participate in this event, showcasing

campus programs and services,

community resources, and college clubs.

Bow-WOW incorporates student

demonstrations in disciplines ranging from

cosmetology to physics as well as an

eclectic range of music, food, and dance

performances (II.C.4-10).

ASBG is managed by a program

coordinator who works in close

collaboration with the instructor of

Leadership 111 and 112. Leadership

course outcomes include development of

effective communication and planning

skills as well as self-awareness and

cultural competence (II.C.4-11). There are

fourteen ASBG officers. All student

officers are required to be enrolled in a

Leadership class, have a GPA of 2.0 or

higher, and be enrolled in a minimum of 8

units. The connection between student

activities and student learning is

strengthened by the integration of co-

curricular activities and instruction

through the course emphasis on topics

such as organizational structure, planning,

group dynamics, and communication

(II.C.4-12; II.C.4-13). An important

component of ASBG planning is student

participation. Data are tracked for all

activities and used to plan future events.

For example, Bow-WOW continues to be

a college tradition; over two thousand

students participate (II.C.4-14).

All co-curricular activities adhere to state

regulations as well as District policies and

procedures. These include California

Community College regulations governing

eligibility to hold a student government

office as well as board policies related to

ASBG organization, election of officers

and student trustee, free speech, use of

facilities, and student appointment to

college councils and committees (II.C.4-

15; II.C.4-16; II.C.4-17). For example, to

assure the integrity of college clubs, all

clubs must be chartered through ASBG.

Students interested in forming a club must

complete a club charter packet which

includes the club mission and constitution

and identifies a staff advisor and a

minimum of eight student members

(II.C.4-18). Regardless of a club’s

mission, all clubs must be open to all

students. Club packets are reviewed and

approved by ASBG. These policies are

designed to ensure the integrity of all co-

curricular activities. There are over thirty

clubs active on campus (II.C.4-19).

ASBG is funded through a share of the

college bookstore sales, and its finances

are governed under Board Policy 5420

(II.C.4-20). A request for funding form is

required for all expenditures, and funding

requests must be submitted to the ASBG

Budget & Finance Committee. Once a

recommendation to fund is submitted the

request is voted on by the full ASBG

membership and forwarded for approval to

the vice president of Student Services and

the Chief Business Officer. Funding

requests must be accompanied by

supporting documentation including a

description of the activity, the minutes of

the ASBG discussion, and the vote (II.C.4-

21; II.C.4-22). The distribution of funds is

managed through the Auxiliary

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 237

Accounting Office, and all expenditures

are governed by FCMAT regulations

(II.C.4-7). Club expenditures follow the

same funding process.

Athletic Programs Allan Hancock College intercollegiate

athletics programs are consistent with the

college mission by enhancing educational

opportunities and supporting student

learning (II.C.4-1). By its very nature,

athletics also aligns with the six factors for

student success identified in the District’s

Strategic Plan: directed, engaged, focused,

valued, nurtured, and connected (II.C.4-

23). The college incorporates these

success factors into the student-athlete

experience through institutional practices

the ensure that all student-athletes receive

a comprehensive orientation,

individualized educational planning,

specialized counseling, and on-going

academic and personal support designed to

meet the special needs of this population

(II.C.4-24; II.C.4-25).

The opportunity to participate in

intercollegiate athletics provides a unique

pathway to higher education for many

students in our District. Student learning is

supported through a student-athlete

retention and success plan. The plan

includes visits with a retention coordinator

and designated academic counselor, access

to a student-athlete computer lab, and a

minimum of three hours per week in the

student-athlete study hall (II.C.4-26). For

many students, participation in

intercollegiate athletics fosters a sense of

engagement and connection with the

college community that supports student

retention and success. For many student-

athletes at Allan Hancock College,

participation in athletics leads to degree

completion and transfers to four-year

universities (II.C.4-27).

Between 2010 and 2015, athletes had a

retention rate of 88% and a success rate of

74%. Over the same time period, non-

athletes had a retention rate of 85% and a

success rate of 71%. During those five

years, 215 (21%) athletes received

degrees, 147 (15%) received certificates,

and 262 (26%) enrolled in a four-year

university. In comparison, 10% of all

students at Allan Hancock College

received degrees, 7% received a

certificate, and 13% enrolled in a four-year

university.

Athletic programs also contribute to the

cultural vitality of the campus and the

community. All athletic events are open to

the community. Students, staff, and faculty

receive free admission to all home

sporting events. Athletes and community

members are also benefitting from

improvements in athletic facilities. For

example, the new outdoor track provides a

place for joggers to exercise. Community

members have access to the college

swimming pool and fitness center, as well

as a variety of exercise classes, through

enrollment in Community Education

(II.C.4-28).

Organizations and groups whose purpose

contributes to the welfare of the

community may also use District athletic

facilities on a fee basis (II.C.4-29). The

college also offers multiple youth baseball

and basketball camps for children within

the service area (II.C.4-30; II.C.4-31). The

access to new facilities and sports camps

fulfill the college mission of providing

quality educational opportunities that

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 238

enhance the creative, cultural, and student

learning experiences of our community.

One of the college’s most well-attended

and longest-running events is the annual

Joe White Memorial Dinner and Auction.

The annual event brings the college and

the community together the week before

fall classes begin to benefit the Athletics

Department. Each year, more than 400

supporters attend the event. After 14 years,

the event has raised nearly $700,000 for

Hancock athletics (II.C.4-32). Based on

needs identified in program review, funds

from Joe White have been used for major

facility improvements, such as the

installation of new bleachers and

scoreboards, and improvements to the

gymnasium, baseball, and softball

facilities.

Athletic programs adhere to sound

educational policies and standards of

integrity. The intercollegiate athletics

program conducts regular program review

and assesses student learning outcomes for

all courses related to intercollegiate

athletic participation (II.C.4-33).

Information related to eligibility and

equity is available to the public through

the college catalog and Athletics website

(II.C.4-34; II.C.4-35).

Allan Hancock College is a member in

good standing with the California

Community College Athletic Association

(CCCAA) (II.C.4-36). The Athletics

program complies with all standards as

prescribed by the CCCAA Constitution

and subsidiary athletic conference

organizations: Western State Conference

(WSC) and Southern California Football

Conference (SCFC) (II.C.4-37; II.C.4-38).

The CCCAA requires annual reporting

related to athletic eligibility, appropriate

training for athletic personnel, and

representation by the institution as a

voting member. Specifically, AHC

submits the following forms according to

prescribed timelines: Form R1, Form R-2,

Form R4, and Form X (II.C.4-39; II.C.4-

40; II.C.4-41). Additionally, AHC files the

annual Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act

report as required by Federal Law (II.C.4-

42). AHC Board Policy 5700, Gender

Equity in Athletics, was revised and

updated in 2015 (II.C.4-43).

The CCCAA also requires that institutions

complete a program review administered

by member conferences. AHC completed

the last WSC program review in the fall of

2009 and is scheduled for its next review

in 2017-2018 in accordance with the

timeline set forth by the WSC (II.C.4-44).

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 239

The District has full authority over all

aspects of athletic programs including

finances. The Athletic Director reports to

the vice president of Academic Affairs

(II.C.4-45). In addition to compliance with

state and federal regulations, athletic

programs are governed by District policies

and procedures, including policies and

procedures related to finance (II.C.4-46).

Athletic programs are funded from three

sources: District funds, auxiliary funds,

and proceeds from multiple fundraising

activities. Expenditures have multiple

signature authorities, and funds are

expended through board approved District

procedures. Athletic funds are part of the

audit procedures as a function of business

services (II.C.4-47).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 240

II.C.5 The institution provides counseling and/or academic advising programs to

support student development and success and prepares faculty and other

personnel responsible for the advising function. Counseling and advising

programs orient students to ensure they understand the accurate

information about relevant academic requirements, including graduation

and transfer policies.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College ensures student

access to academic counseling and related

services designed to support student

learning and attainment of academic goals.

Counseling services include overall

student development, outreach, new

student orientation, and development of an

educational plan, abbreviated and

comprehensive, that details the academic

requirements for the student’s identified

goal. Students have access to counseling

services in person, by phone, or online

both by appointment and drop-in. Specific

policies and programs are designed to

support special populations and at-risk

students. Designated counselors are

available, day and evening, to assist

students enrolled in noncredit classes.

Noncredit admission and registration

forms are available online and in print.

II.C.5-1 Counseling Department

Mission Statement

II.C.5-2 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 5110, Counseling

II.C.5-3 Strategic Directions (AHC

Strategic Plan)

II.C.5-4 2015-2016 Student Success

and Support Plan

II.C.5-5 Counseling Department

Meeting and Retreat Notes

II.C.5-6 Counselor Professional

Development Plans

II.C.5-7 Counseling Internship

Program

II.C.5-8 Board Policy and

Administrative Procedure

5055, Enrollment Priorities

II.C.5-9 Board Policy and

Administrative Procedure

5050, Student Success and

Support Program

II.C.5-10 Counseling Outreach

Calendar

II.C.5-11 New Student Orientation

II.C.5-12 PD 110 Course Outline

II.C.5-13 Steps to Enrollment

II.C.5-14 Title 5 Regulations – Student

Orientation

II.C.5-15 New Student Orientation

Schedule

II.C.5-16 Publications for NSO

II.C.5-17 Sample Abbreviated Student

Educational Plan

II.C.5-18 Sample Comprehensive

Student Educational Plan

II.C.5-19 Sample Program Workshops

II.C.5-20 Counseling Workshops

II.C.5-21 DegreeWorks Software

II.C.5-22 High School Outreach

Program-Bridges to Success

II.C.5-23 Bridges to Success Agenda

and Meeting Minutes

II.C.5-24 Bow-WOW Agenda

II.C.5-25 Transfer Day/College Night

II.C.5-26 Student Ambassador Program

Website

II.C.5-27 Transfer Workshops

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 241

II.C.5-28 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedure 5120, Transfer

Center

Analysis and Evaluation

The Allan Hancock College Counseling

Department’s primary responsibility is

student development through academic

counseling and advising. The mission of

the District’s Counseling department is to

support the educational objectives of all

Allan Hancock College students and

prospective students in the District’s

service area (II.C.5-1; II.C.5-2). This

mission is woven into the planning process

through the District’s Strategic Plan and

reflected in the Student Success and

Support Plan which defines student

success as the achievement of the

student’s educational goals and affirms the

role of counseling as the primary agent in

assisting students in clarifying and

achieving those goals (II.C.5-3; II.C.5-4).

The District employs 18 full-time

counselors and 16 part-time counselors

who are dedicated to achieving this

mission.

The institution assures the quality of

counseling services through rigorous

hiring practices, adherence to California

Community College minimum

qualification for the discipline, weekly

counseling meetings devoted primarily to

training, and support for professional

development and continuing education

(II.C.5-5; II.C.5-6). The college also

developed an internship program

coordinated with the University of

LaVerne and California Polytechnic State

University, San Luis Obispo to train future

counselors (II.C.5-7).

In order to receive priority registration,

new students are required to participate in

a comprehensive advising program that

includes assessment, student orientation,

and development of an educational plan

that maps the academic pathway to

achievement of each student’s educational

goal (II.C.5-8; II.C.5-9). All students have

ongoing access to counselors, in both face-

to-face and distance modes, to assist in

academic advising, career exploration, and

transfer preparation. Programs and

practices are in place to address the

counseling needs of at-risk students and

special populations. For example, the

Counseling Department holds a special

outreach event in the town of Guadalupe

which includes New Student Orientation

(NSO) and an Academic Advising

Workshop (AAW) (II.C.5-10).

Follow-up services are provided to assist

students in the development of a

comprehensive Student Education Plan

(SEP). Priority consideration is given to

students identified as at-risk, such as

students enrolled in basic skills courses,

students who have not identified an

education goal and course of study, or

students on academic or progress

probation. Those students are directly

contacted by the counseling office and

encouraged to meet with a counselor to

develop a comprehensive SEP.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 242

New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation (NSO) occurs in

an on-campus format on both the Santa

Maria and the Lompoc Valley Center

campuses (II.C.5-11). Orientations are

available day and evening as well as

online and are embedded in Personal

Development (PD) 110 – College Success

Seminar (II.C.5-12). The table below

shows the number of students that

participated in the NSO. Other student

service programs provide orientations to

new students as well.

Programs such as College Achievement

Now (CAN/TRiO); Extended Opportunity

Programs and Services (EOPS)/

Cooperative Agency Resources for

Education (CARE); CalWORKS; Science,

Technology, Math, Engineering, and

Science Achievement (MESA); and

Athletics provide orientations for their

new students. These orientations are

examined to ensure they cover the

district’s steps to enrollment and conform

to Title 5 regulations (II.C.5-13; II.C.5-

14).

The online NSO allows the district to

serve a greater number of students and to

provide access throughout the academic

year. The online NSO will be instrumental

in providing service to students including,

but not limited to, our distance learning

population. AHC remains committed to

delivering the NSO in person to as many

students as possible. This commitment is

deemed especially important for English

as Second Language (ESL) and basic

skills students.

All new students are directed to complete

NSO prior to registration. The NSO

consists of eight interactive segments,

which have the following working titles:

Welcome and Orientation Instructions,

Your First Steps, Academic Goals, Student

Services, Academic Support Services,

College Basics, Campus Life, and Student

Conduct and Safety. Important deadlines

and academic policies and procedures are

highlighted. On average, ten to fourteen

on-campus NSO sessions are available for

students per registration period (II.C.5-16).

The Academic Advising Workshop

(AAW) and NSO programs are

specifically designed to meet SSSP

outcomes.

Students are invited to participate in NSO

through the AHC website, the college

catalog, the Steps to Enrollment checklist,

and the schedule of classes as well as

through interaction with counseling

faculty and other student services staff. In

addition, NSO announcements are made in

local high school newspapers, radio, and

social media sites, such as Facebook and

Twitter (II.C.5-16). A counselor is used to

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 243

record radio promotional spots

encouraging students to register and to

utilize the Counseling Department. These

marketing efforts are coordinated by the

AHC Public Affairs office.

Academic Pathway Services

Once students have attended an NSO, they

are directed to attend an Academic

Advising Workshop (AAW), where

abbreviated student education plans are

created (II.C.5-17). The AAW allows

students to work with counselors in a

group setting and teaches students how to

navigate class search and the student

portal (myHancock), understand general

education patterns, and also understand the

importance of staying focused and

committed. The workshop topics include

deciding on a major, study skills for

college, university transfer requirements

(basic and advanced), and nursing

program requirements. Students are

strongly encouraged to schedule an

individual follow-up appointment with a

counselor during the next semester or two

to develop their comprehensive SEP

(II.C.5-18). Students are also advised of

workshops offered by additional student

services programs, such as EOPS,

CAN/TRiO, STEM, MESA, and Bridges

to the Baccalaureate. Examples of

workshops offered by these programs

include: resume development,

employability skills and communication,

time management, scholarship tips and

search, and personal finance. These

workshops bring together students with

shared goals and experiences and provide

those students with an opportunity to focus

more intensively on specific skills (II.C.5-

19). Program website links are available

in Standard II.C.1.

Additional group workshops have been

developed to provide supplemental

orientation at particular benchmarks in a

student’s academic pathway. These

workshops target students who have

completed 15 units and are designed to

assist those students in identifying their

next academic and career planning steps.

Students who have completed degree level

and/or transferable English and math

courses are strongly advised to attend

these workshops (II.C.5-20). Career

workshops are available to all students

each semester.

Students may independently explore

certificate and degree pathways through a

software program called DegreeWorks

(II.C.5-21). DegreeWorks is a web-based,

degree-auditing, and tracking tool which

enables students and counselors to

evaluate academic progress towards

graduation in accordance with university

and major requirements. Ongoing

workshops are held for students to learn

how to navigate this software.

DegreeWorks presentations and Q&A

sessions are also conducted in classrooms.

This tool allows students and counselors to

identify which requirements have been

satisfied quickly and easily and which

requirements are still needed in order to

complete the stated associate degree

and/or certificate.

DegreeWorks is designed to aid and

facilitate academic advising but is not

intended to replace the valuable one-on-

one sessions with counselors. The

DegreeWorks program:

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 244

Supports real time delivery of

progress towards degree

completion

Easily determines which courses

have been taken or transferred in

for associate degrees, which count

as electives and requirements, and

which are needed to complete a

degree

Online environment reduces

paperwork and is accessible to

students 24/7

"What If" feature shows students

how progress towards degree

completion changes if they change

majors

Through systematic processes of student

assessment, orientation, and academic

counseling combined with close

collaboration with other student services

and instructional programs and effective

use of technology, the District ensures that

students receive clear, timely, and accurate

information required to achieve their

academic goals.

High School Outreach

Bridges to Success (B2S) is a

comprehensive counseling collaboration

between Allan Hancock College

counseling faculty and their high school

counterparts from District-area feeder high

schools. The mission of B2S is to provide

comprehensive counseling services to, and

advocacy for our area’s most

disproportionately impacted student

populations. This student population

includes English Language Learners,

African American and Latino males, low

socioeconomic, first-generation college

students, and students with disabilities. A

goal of B2S is to move beyond simply

“promoting college for all students” to

instead create opportunities and

collaboration between community college

and high school counselors to improve

retention, graduation, and transfer (II.C.5-

22).

Counselors discuss issues of student

development and advocacy in order to

respond to the achievement gaps that exist

for area students and ensure greater equity

in the promotion and promise of a higher

education. A broader goal is to create and

change education policy to serve our

students better. The mission of the Bridges

to Success is to enhance each student’s

academic, career, and personal growth. A

designated counselor and/or the

counseling intern serves as a liaison to

each local high school campus in the

District, particularly during the spring

semester as students are gearing up for

graduation and matriculation to Allan

Hancock College. Counselors present

steps to enrollment in high school

classrooms and provide encouragement to

first generation college students who are

worried about financial support and fitting

in (II.C.5-23). The college also hosts high

school fairs, parent nights, and an annual

Career Exploration Day. These events

bring over 1800 high school students to

campus to tour programs and meet faculty

and industry partners.

Outreach

The Counseling Department collaborates

with student government to provide a

unique opportunity for student

introduction to campus programs and

services. By the third week of instruction,

the college hosts a week of welcome

through an event called the Bulldog Bow-

WOW to showcase academic programs,

student services, and student activities.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 245

The Bulldog Bow-WOW is held at the

Santa Maria campus and at the Lompoc

Valley Center. Academic programs share

information about degrees and certificates,

as well as related career information.

Many academic programs have both an

informational table as well as interactive

activities for students. For example, the

nursing program demonstrates how to

measure blood pressure, the viticulture

program demonstrates grape stomping,

and the cosmetology program provides

free haircuts to student volunteers.

Students are able to explore different

majors, connect with student support

services, and most importantly, connect

with faculty and staff (II.C.5-24). The

Bulldog Bow-WOW is designed to

support student engagement and

connectedness, two of the success factors

that form the basis of the District’s

strategic plan.

The college also hosts a Transfer

Day/College Night during the month of

November to introduce students to

colleges and universities with programs

and services related to their interests and

needs (II.C.5-25). Students are able to

meet with representatives from the

University of California, California State

University, out-of-state universities, and

private colleges. This event is held in both

day and evening to meet the diverse needs

of our students and community.

The AHC Ambassador Program provides

an additional resource to support student

development and success. This program

recruits qualified Allan Hancock College

students to represent the college at various

events and serve as role models and

mentors both new and continuing students.

This group of trained representatives visits

area high schools; participates in college

fairs, special events, and outreach efforts;

provides campus tours; assists in the

admissions/registration process; and

promotes the image of Allan Hancock

College (II.C.5-26).

The University Transfer Center provides

the AHC student population with access to

transfer-related workshops each semester

on topics, such as “Transfer Basics,”

“Advanced Transfer,” “Completing the

UC TAG,” and “Completing the CSU

Application” (II.C.5-27; II.C.5-28).

Supported by data from the Counseling

Department’s program review, the District

hired a full-time counselor to support the

University Transfer Center in 2014.

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 246

II.C.6 The institution has adopted and adheres to admission policies consistent

with its mission that specify the qualifications of students appropriate for

its programs. The institution defines and advises students on clear

pathways to complete degrees, certificate and transfer goals.

Eligibility Requirement 16.

The institution has adopted and adheres to admission policies consistent with its

mission that specify the qualifications of students appropriate for its programs.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

II.C.6-1 Board Policy 5010,

Admissions

II.C.6-2 AHC Mission Statement

II.C.6-3 Institutional Learning

Outcomes

II.C.6-4 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016,

Admission Procedures, pages

11-18

II.C.6-5 Testing Center

II.C.6-6 Schedule of Classes

II.C.6-7 Allan Hancock College

Catalog 2015-2016, Transfer,

Degree and Certificates,

pages 52-63

II.C.6-8 Community Education

Schedule of Classes

(Spectrum)

II.C.6-9 UC and CSU Articulation

Agreements

II.C.6-10 College Catalog, College

Now!, page 14

II.C.6-11 DegreeWorks Software

II.C.6-12 New Student Orientation

II.C.6-13 Personal Development 110

Course Outline

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College (AHC) adheres to

admission policies based on open access

and equal opportunity (II.C.6-1). These

values are consistent with the college

mission which commits to providing

quality educational opportunities to our

diverse community (II.C.6-2). Access to

educational programs is available

regardless of level of education, race,

religion, culture, economic status, or

disability status. Through assessment,

orientation, comprehensive counseling,

and access to a full array of student

services, AHC students are supported in

understanding and achieving their

educational goals. Student participation in

these processes contributes to competency

in institutional learning outcomes,

particularly in the areas of communication,

information technology, and personal

responsibility and development (II.C.6-3).

AHC admits any individual possessing a

high school diploma or the equivalent, or

any individual who is at least 18 years of

age and capable of profiting from the

instruction offered (II.C.6-4; II.C.6-5).

AHC offers a broad range of educational

opportunities to meet the diverse needs of

the community, in keeping with the

mission. These include certificate and

associate degree programs as well as

general education and lower division

courses designed to prepare students for

transfer (II.C.6-6; II.C.6-7). The District

provides access to basic skills instruction

in several areas: English, math, credit and

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 247

noncredit English as a Second Language

(ESL), noncredit basic skills, General

Education Diploma (GED) preparation,

and a variety of noncredit community

education courses for both adults and

children (II.C.6-8). The college’s

commitment to open access is combined

with an equally strong commitment to

student success. As a part of the focus on

student achievement, qualifications are

established for specific courses and

programs. The college placement test is

required as a prerequisite to enrollment in

English, reading, math, or ESL credit

courses. The placement tests also

determine eligibility for courses in other

disciplines that have English and/or math

prerequisites and provides

recommendations for noncredit basic skills

instruction for students who are

underprepared for credit English, reading,

Math, or ESL courses. Students may

retake the placement test if their scores fall

within a specified range (II.C.6-5).

English and math placement criteria are

validated in a collaborative process

between faculty in the respective

disciplines and the District’s Office of

Institutional Effectiveness. Prerequisites

for sequential courses are determined by

faculty in the discipline and approved by

the District’s curriculum committee

(AP&P). Course prerequisites and

advisories are communicated in the

description of each course in the AHC

catalog, print and online, and through a

variety of face-to-face experiences

including new student orientations and

academic counseling and advising.

Course requirements for career and

technical certificates are developed by

faculty in the discipline based on industry

standards and input from local employers.

Vocational programs, such as nursing,

theater, and the fire and police academies,

set specific prerequisites for admission to

those programs. Students are electronically

blocked from registration into classes for

which they lack the appropriate

prerequisite(s).

Associate degrees include a pattern of

general education that addresses each of

the District’s institutional learning

outcomes. Transfer articulation

agreements with the CSU and UC systems

inform course requirements for transfer

and support a smooth transition from

community college to university (II.C.6-

9).

Pathways to certificates, degrees, and

transfer are clearly defined. Students are

informed of these pathways through

multiple modalities, including print,

online, and face-to-face access. Detailed

information related to each educational

pathway is found in the college catalog

and on the college website (II.C.6-10).

Students can independently track their

progress toward their goals using the

DegreeWorks student education plan

software program (II.C.6-11). Students are

also advised of academic requirements

through face-to-face or online orientation

and on-going access to academic

counseling and advising (II.C.6-12). These

resources are augmented by a 1 unit

orientation course, Personal Development

110, as well as campus programs and

services, such as the Career and Job

Placement Center, University Transfer

Center, EOPS/ CARE/ CalWORKS, LAP,

CAN/TRiO, MESA, Bridges to the

Baccalaureate, and STEM that provide

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 248

ongoing academic counseling and advising

for special populations (II.C.6-13).

Students currently enrolled in high school

may be admitted to the college under the

College Now! program. High school

juniors and seniors who meet the College

Now! requirements and obtain the

necessary permission from their principal

or designee may enroll in approved

courses on the Hancock campus. High

school students may also earn college

credits through a program of concurrent

enrollment. Concurrent enrollment allows

high school students to take college-credit

bearing courses taught by college-

approved high school teachers at the high

school campus. These programs support

the college mission of providing quality

educational opportunities that enhance

student learning and the creative,

intellectual, cultural, and economic vitality

of our diverse community (II.C.6-2).

The College meets the standard.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 249

II.C.7 The institution regularly evaluates admissions and placement instruments

and practices to validate their effectiveness while minimizing biases.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

Allan Hancock College regularly evaluates

admission and placement instruments and

procedures to ensure these practices are

effective and bias is minimized.

II.C.7-1 Program Review Matrix

II.C.7-2 SLO’s Assessment

II.C.7-3 CCCCO Approved

Instruments

II.C.7-4 Board Policy/Administrative

Procedures 5010, Admissions

II.C.7-5 AHC Catalog 2015-2016,

Admissions Procedure, pages

11-14

II.C.7-6 Testing Center Website

II.C.7-7 Admissions Application

II.C.7-8 CELSA 2014 Evaluation

II.C.7-9 START Placement Practice

Tests

Analysis and Evaluation

The effectiveness of admission processes

is assessed as a component of a regular

cycle of comprehensive program review

and annual updates as well as student

learning outcomes assessment (II.C.7-1;

II.C.7-2). All placement instruments are

approved by the California Community

College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) and

regularly evaluated to validate

effectiveness and reduce bias (II.C.7-3).

Assessment and placement practices are in

compliance with Title 5 regulations and

Board Policy 5010 (II.C.7-4). These

procedures are communicated in print and

online through the college catalog and

Testing Center website (II.C.7-5; II.C.7-6).

Over the past few years, great attention

has been devoted to the expanded use of

technology to enhance student access to

admission.

Allan Hancock College is an open access

institution. A local online admission

application was adopted in spring 2010

when the Banner system was new to the

college. In April of 2016, as a part of the

District’s ongoing evaluation of

admission practices and in accordance

with state-wide initiatives, the college

implemented CCCApply as its

admission application process (II.C.7-7).

The CCCApply Statewide committee

ensures the application remains up to date

with Chancellor Office mandates. This

ensures that AHC collects the required

data from our applicants. Additional

admission requirements are utilized for

programs such as the police and fire

academies and the registered nursing

program. These admission standards are

informed by the requirements of the

appropriate state agencies and undergo

the standard institutional processes for

approval and program review (II.C.7-1).

The assessment instruments have the full

approval of the California Community

College Chancellor's Office as meeting

guidelines for reliability, bias, content

validity, and disproportionate impact.

The Accuplacer Companion Test and

Combined English Language Skills

Assessment (CELSA) are used in the

credit assessment process. The college

evaluates the effectiveness of its processes

and utilizes multiple measures to ensure

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 250

proper placement. The assessment test

used for placement into English and

mathematics is Accuplacer. Upgrades to

the platform occur annually, and the

alternative formats of the Accuplacer tests

are available to students who are unable to

utilize the standard format. Group settings

of the companion paper and pencil format

are administered to the student population

at the prison. Individualized testing

sessions using alternative formats are

arranged by the Testing Center as a means

of ensuring equal access for individuals

with disabilities. In these cases, the

Testing Center collaborates with the

Learning Assistance Program (LAP) to

determine the appropriate accommodation

for each student.

The assessment tests used for placement

into ESL courses are the Accuplacer Level

of English Proficiency (LOEP) and the

CELSA. The AHC Writing Sample,

administered in conjunction with the

CELSA reading test, is a locally managed

test. It is evaluated every six years and was

most recently evaluated for approval in

2014 (II.C.7-8). ESL faculty and the

Testing Center staff independently score

the writing sample, and the Institutional

Research office completes the required

analysis of test validity. The Accuplacer,

LOEP, and CELSA are administered on

campus using web-based software.

Students who feel their test placement

score at AHC is invalid are afforded the

opportunity for an individual counselor

interview. As a part of this alternative

measure, the counselor gathers

information about a student’s study skills,

learning and career goals, computational

skills, English language proficiency,

educational and employment histories,

academic performance, and need for

special services. The counselor may utilize

personal interview, career aptitude and

interest inventories, high school or

postsecondary transcripts, or other

measures of performance such as

specialized licenses and military training

to aid in the assessment process for course

placement. This process ensures that more

than one measure is available to students

in the assessment process for course

placement.

Counselors work closely with the

English and math departments as well

as the Testing Center to ensure student

success. English and math faculty

attend counseling meetings when there

are curricular changes and ask for

feedback on potential concerns. Both

departments also work with counseling

to determine multiple measures. A

counselor sits on the District’s

curriculum committee and is

instrumental when new English and

math courses are developed. The

assessment coordinator also attends

counseling meetings as appropriate to

update faculty on issues related to

placement practices. Student services

faculty and staff advise students of the

importance of preparation before taking

the placement test. Students are

encouraged to take advantage of the

START practice test and math review

links available on the Testing Center

website (II.C.7-9).

The College meets the standard. While

there is evidence that the college

regularly evaluates admissions and

placement instruments and practices to

validate their effectiveness and

minimize basis, there are opportunities

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 251

for improvement in assessment

practices.

The College will draft a Quality Focus

Essay in order to improve the linkage

between integrated evaluation,

planning, and resource allocation to

improve student learning and

achievement. In order to support

continuous improvement in student

support services, the College will

improve orientation and

admissions services for Spanish

speaking students and

implement Common

Assessment and multiple

measures instruments to

improve student placement

accuracy.

Allan Hancock College 2016 Self-Evaluation Report 252

II.C.8 The institution maintains student records permanently, securely, and

confidentially, with provision for secure backup of all files, regardless of

the form in which those files are maintained. The institution publishes and

follows established policies for release of student records.

Evidence of Meeting the Standard

In accordance with Board Policy 5040,

student records are permanently and

securely maintained. The college has

procedures in place to ensure confidentially

and adheres to board policies for the release

of student records. The public is informed of

policies and procedures related to the

integrity and confidentiality of student

records through the college catalog and

website.

II.C.8-1 Board Policy 5040, Student

Records, Directory

Information, and Privacy

II.C.8-2 Xtender Electronic Filing

System

II.C.8-3 Allan Hancock College Catalog

2015-2016, Release of Student

Records

II.C.8-4 Admissions & Records

link/FERPA tab

Analysis and Evaluation

Allan Hancock College stores and maintains

student records as outlined in Board Policy

5040, in accordance with all applicable laws

(II.C.8-1). The policy also details how

students can withhold even minimal

directory information or allow third party

access to their records.

Student records are maintained on the

Banner student information system and the

Xtender Electronic Filing System (II.C.8-2).

To ensure there is a secure backup of files, a

differential nightly backup rolls into a full

backup. This backup is replicated nightly on

a server located at the Lompoc Valley

Center. Data reside in a secure data center in

Building L on the Santa Maria Campus and

in Lompoc Valley Center’s communications

room. The backup is saved for 30 days, and

the replicated backup is saved for seven

days. Student information stored in Xtender

or Banner may only be deleted manually by

the director of Admissions and Records and

the director of Information Technology

Services.

The confidentiality of student records is

protected in accordance with the Family

Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA). The AHC catalog details the

college’s process for student access to their

records as well as the information that may

or may not be released without the student’s

consent (II.C.8-3). The catalog also

describes how students may request that

their records be amended and how to file a

complaint if they believe their rights under

FERPA have been violated. AHC Student

Services staff and others with access to

student records participate in ongoing

formal FERPA training and are fully

apprised of the FERPA regulations, which

are posted on the AHC public website on the

Admissions and Records page (II.C.8-4).

The College meets the standard.